Congratulations! You’ve caught a potential employer’s eye with your your outstanding resume, and you've landed an interview for a job. Now it's time to wow them in person!
9 Job interview tips for success
To help you prepare for a successful interview, read on to discover our top job interview tips.
Prepare for a job interview
Understand the interview process
Most companies will provide you with information on the format your interview will take. If they don’t, ask the HR department or hiring manager so you can prepare accordingly.
An interview for a job might be an informal discussion, like a chat over coffee, a one-on-one with a hiring manager or recruiter, a panel interview where multiple managers question you as a group or a competency-based interview in an assessment centre.
The more information you know, the better you can prepare for a job interview.
Practice STAR answers
Regardless of the interview type, being ready to provide clear, concise answers is one of the best job interview tips. A good way to ensure your answers meet these criteria is to use the STAR acronym to format them:
Situation: explain the problem or challenge you had to solve. Set the scene for those interviewing you.
Task: explain what your responsibility was relative to the situation.
Action: what did you do? What sequence did the actions take place?
Result: what outcomes did your actions lead to?
Framing the highlights of your career in this way will provide those interviewing you with a more focused answer. To prepare for a job interview, think about what kind of questions you might be asked – or look some up online – then practice answering the questions and giving your responses in STAR format.
Research the company thoroughly
Doing your research is a key step to prepare for a job interview. Look for interesting facts or challenges that they may be facing that you may be able to help with. Visit their social media pages, read reports and search for them in the news. Mention any recent new products, mergers, or investments that you come across.
During the Interview
First impressions count
When it comes to job interview tips, making a good impression is high on the list. You only get one chance to make a first impression, so make sure it’s a good one. As a minimum, prepare for a job interview by:
- dressing to impress – you should look neat and professional
- not wearing strong perfume or cologne
- arriving on time, or early if possible – as a rule, 10 minutes early is preferable
- being polite and friendly to everyone you meet on your way to the interview
Listen carefully
Actively listening while you interview for a job will help avoid misunderstandings. Don’t start an answer based on what you thought the interviewer asked, and ensure you are answering their actual question. If you aren’t sure, ask for clarification or more information.
Be positive
When you interview for a job, it’s important to keep the tone upbeat and positive. Avoid mentioning anything negative about your current employer and try to find a positive spin for even negative questions.
One exception is the question, ‘What is your main weakness?’ This is a question interviewers expect you to answer honestly. Try to avoid stereotypical answers like perfectionism or working too hard. Instead, use the STAR formula to discuss an area where you know you can improve. Don’t forget to include actions you take to prevent your weakness from impacting your work.
Have some questions ready
An interview should be a two-way process. One of the best job interview tips is to ensure you have questions ready for the interviewer. Popular questions include:
- Will training be provided?
- Why has the position become available?
- What do you see as the long-term goals for the company?
- What would success look like in this role?
After the Interview
Email a personalised thank you note
After you interview for a job, you should always send a personalised email to your interviewers thanking them for the opportunity. Ideally, you should also mention something unique from your interview to help you stand out in their memory.
Ask for feedback
If you don’t get the job, learn from the experience by politely asking for feedback. By doing this, you can find job interview tips specific to you, which you can apply to future interviews.
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