Five things to do when preparing for an interview
If it makes any difference – even recruiters get nervous before an interview! However, an appropriate amount of interview prep can help set the scene for an interview and mentally get you ready for what may be asked. Taking these 5 simple steps will help you up your interviewing game and will support you in being more confident on interview day.
- Know who is interviewing you.
Understanding the background of the person interviewing you is crucial in understanding the dynamic of the interview. For example, if you are being interviewed by a Quality and Compliance Manager, it would be worthwhile preparing some examples of your experience in maintaining and managing compliance and quality. Hot tip – LinkedIn is a good place to find this information!
2. Understand the company you are interviewing for.
What are their values? What is their company mission? Understanding how both and tying this into your own personal reasons for wanting to work for the organisation is essential. You might not necessarily be asked if you know about their values/mission, however, being able to bring it up and tie it into your own values is a great way to align yourself to the role and organisation.
3. Know your strengths and always pull on them!
Everyone comes with unique strengths and skills, and knowing yours and being confident in these are beneficial. Try and forget what you think THEY want to hear. Remember to attend the interview as your whole, true and authentic self. When talking about your strengths, authenticity is key.
4. Prepare questions to help you decide if it’s the right role.
As we always say here at Anila Recruitment – an interview works both ways, the candidate is interviewing the employer just as much as the employer is interviewing the candidate. Prepare questions that will help you compare different opportunities.
Examples:
- How big is the team and what is the team culture like that the moment?
- What support and training will I receive?
- What is the annual remuneration package being offered for this position? (If it hasn’t already been discussed).
- What are the benefits of working with the organisation?
5. What are the next steps?
Asking the Panel what the next steps are and timelines around recruitment help manage your own expectations of when you’ll hear back with an outcome. It also helps you navigate when it would be appropriate to follow up and also manage your own interviewing schedule of opportunities.