When gearing up for a job interview, making sure you are well prepared will ensure your interview process goes as smoothly as possible, which in turn will increase the chances of you securing your dream job. Here are 4 top tips to help you fine-tune your interview prep:
1. Don’t be afraid to ask pre-interview questions!
When you’ve been offered an interview, some employers may give more in-depth information than others. Here are a few questions you may need to ask:
- What format the interview will be held in? – Asking this question means you save getting caught out if they require you to complete a task or presentation.
- Who is the interviewer? – This is important information for your pre-interview research.
2. Now, let’s talk about the interviewer!
When it comes to the interviewer, unless it’s a recruiter or internal HR team, they probably don’t have much experience conducting interviews. This is the perfect chance to get an upper hand with your preparation.
So… Research into the interviewer! This means finding out who they are, what they’ve achieved and how they got to the position they are in now. LinkedIn will be your friend on this one!
Make sure during this research, you also look into who the director for your specific area is and who is the managing director of the company. They may ask you questions about this and having the information on hand will show the effort you’ve put into your preparation.
3. Next, it’s time to do your company research.
Doing your company research is KEY for an easier interview. These are the following sections you should look into:
- Look into what the company does
- What does the company stand for
- What are their company ethics
- Who are their competition
Finding out this information allows you to discuss what attracted you to their business and why you are the perfect candidate for their company.
Other information that would be beneficial is researching what could affect their company such as the local markets, local news and their stocks & shares if applicable. Don’t be scared to look at their companies house, their accounts information may be valuable material.
4. Finally, KNOW YOUR CV!
We can’t stress this one enough, knowing your CV is vital to a good interview. This is the material that the interviewer is using to interview you and why they wanted to in the first place.
Your CV should be a true and accurate source of information about your skillset. So make sure you know exactly what information you’ve included.
Next, go through the job description and compare each point to your CV. Familiarizing yourself with the job specification will allow you to link this back to your skillset. This shows that not only do you want to work for them, but you’re also perfect for the job!
Don’t worry if you don’t have every skill listed on the job specification. Being able to use your knowledge from your current skillsets and research will show you’re perfect for the role. This will make you stand out from the crowd.
