How to knock your next job interview out of the park

Many people ask me what are the key things they can do to ensure they have a successful job interview. Here are some things I would suggest that you do (working through these with a coach/ mentor can also be very helpful).

Before the interview:

1. Learn about the organisation. What do they do, what is their product and workplace values, what is their history, where do they operate, etc. Understand who will be interviewing you…look up your interviewers LinkedIn profiles to understand who they are and what their career journey has been.
2. Match what you have learnt about the organisation to what interests you and what you could bring to their success
3. Review the Position Description of the role and prepare to respond to questions that may be asked with how these relate to your skills. Have examples from your work experience and how they match the requirements of the role.
4. Practice responses to possible questions with a trusted person/ coach or mentor. Make sure that these will come across naturally in the interview.

In the interview:

1. Make sure you are well presented and your dress reflects the requirements of the organisation and role.
2. Be on time (or a bit early but not too early).
3. Maintain a confident (but not tense) posture, smile and keep appropriate eye contact.
4. Listen to the questions carefully before you answer them. Take your time and ask to come back to a question if you need to.
5. Be concise but cover everything you need to.

Examples of questions to ask (and what not to).

These would need to be tailored according to the seniority of the role.

1. Further information about the organisation, role or team based on the research you have done about the organisation.
2. What would key expectations be in the first month to three months in the role.
3. You could display your enthusiasm for the role and a quick summary of what you would bring.
4. Enquire about the next steps in the recruitment process.
5. Avoid asking too many questions (particularly in a first interview) about remuneration or benefits. This can be covered as the process progresses.

After the interview:

Follow up with a brief email, expressing appreciation for the opportunity to interview and your enthusiasm for the role.