Interview Tips
Initial interviews are tricky affairs as we all know everything that we do requires practice to make perfect. If at first you don’t succeed, then try try again. However, it’s a Catch 22 situation, because we want the job’s with early success and don’t want to be hanging around going to endless interviews. Here’s a few ideas to help you pull yourself up above the parapet.
Nerves are a problem and need to be addressed as if you’re too on edge you can fluff it in the opening exchange. So how do you overcome this? Well, there’s a few basic strategies which can at least go some way to easing your passage into that dream job you’ve been selected to interview for. The key to remember is that you are also interviewing them, after all, you may know a bit about the position and the organisation, but these are the people with the knowledge. You need to know that the job is suitable. Be inquisitive. Be curious about the functions of your role. Put them on the spot, subtely. Eye contact is important and for added brownie points try and use their names. It’s a great trait to have whatever the occasion when meeting relative strangers.
Do some rudimentary research into what kind of questions you are likely to be asked, as we all know, certain subjects are bound to come up, such as what are your strengths? Or what are your weaknesses? With weaknesses, often a real squirmer to answer without giving too much away, it is wise to turn whatever potential negative you table into a positive. Of course, strengths is where you get to be supremely positive, but remember, make it brief, and to the point. Eliminate any tendency to babble incoherently by not only thinking about these when going through your CV, but write ideas down in a notebook because once you’ve written it down it’s more likely to be committed to memory. Remember, the question “Tell me about yourself…” sounds easy to answer at first, but in actual fact is so open ended that you have to be controlled and disciplined in what you say and how you choose to say it.
Always have at least one question to ask at the end of the interview when they ask you. Research the organisation on the web and make it clear that you are interested in their purpose, your potential role, and how you will both benefit from the transaction of them hiring you.