Top Tips to guarantee a successful interview

We are currently seeing redundancy impacting people at all levels. It’s horrible, as often it is people we have worked with for years. Now more than ever, presenting yourself effectively throughout the selection process is key.

Whether you are a recent grad interviewing for your first role or someone who has been at the same company for the past 20 years standing out can be tough.

I have put together a few key tips for anyone interviewing at the moment. Some may seem more commonsensical than others, but they are things that we see time and time again... I hope it helps.

• Ensure your CV is clear and concise (2 pages is ideal). A short, punchy intro is key and try to include specific, measurable successes.  Numbers are always good to get attention if possible i.e. rather than “I grew my clients”, “I grew my clients by 10% year-on-year”. Get someone else to check it for typos or errors - it may sound obvious, but when you are close to something your brain automatically fills in the blanks and makes corrections. The same goes for any presentations that you put together.

• Rehearse your pitch - practice how to summarise your experience in a succinct way for when you are asked “tell me about yourself”.... Ideally, practice it with someone who will give honest, constructive feedback.

• Have at least 3-4 key successes that you can confidently talk about within each of your roles. They don’t have to be war and peace, but this is good practice if asked to elaborate on any of your experience.

• Job specs are not always the most comprehensive, however they do usually provide an outline of the day-to-day role. Try to match your experience to the spec and ensure you are able to talk through when you have used the required skills in your current position.

• When you have worked on projects as part of a team make sure you are able to talk about what ‘your’ role was. 

• Bullet points, when used correctly, can be very powerful for outlining key expertise...however don’t overuse them.

• Make sure you research the company and the line manager who you will be meeting fully. A profile lookup on LinkedIn before your interview will show on the line manager’s feed and breeds familiarity. 

• Have well thought out questions ready...this is a great time to demonstrate that you have researched the company by referencing something which you have seen in the public domain that you would like more information on. 

• Prepare for situational questions I.e. “can you tell me about a time when a problem arose. How did you solve it?” or “is there anything that you have implemented that has benefited a client?”... they do come up. 

• Have clear reasons as to why you made each career move. Not seeing eye-to-eye with your boss, for example, is fine however try to position it positively.

• Practice maintaining a good, constant pace; talking too quickly will come across as nervous.