Finding the perfect job for you can take some time, but the interview part of the process is often the bit that people dread. The prospective employer has read all about you and your experience, and now they want to meet you – this is excellent news, and you should feel confident about that.

The interview is your chance to really sell your skills and showcase your personality to your potential employers – but for many people, it can be intimidating. In this blog, you’ll find tips to help you nail your next interview, whether it’s taking place in-person or via video.

Research the Company

Your research on the company should begin the moment you are finished celebrating that you have an interview lined up. One of the most popular interview questions asks you what you know about the business, which is why you need to be prepared for this.

Your recruiter should take you through all you need to know about them before the interview to help you prepare, but it’s also important to research on your own beforehand.

If you can choose a couple of things that stand out about the company, you’ll be able to talk about them during the interview. This is where your research skills can come in! Check out LinkedIn and their social media accounts as well as their website for any information you could use. This could include the size of the company, a little about its history and its vision and values.

Keep an eye out for any news features that highlight them as a company you’d want to work for, too. If you notice any awards or accolades, for example, mentioning these to the interviewer shows that you have done your research.

Get Ready Early

Whether you are interviewing in person or via video, getting ready as early as possible is a smart thing to do.

Face to face interviews
Setting up for a face-to-face interview is less about technology and more about ensuring that you have any paperwork the interviewer has requested with you. Plan your route to the business so that you know the roads and the car parking situation. If you take public transport, check for delays and make sure that you know where you’re going and how you get there.

Video interviews
Setting up your technology the day before the interview time is a smart move, as you’ll be able to avoid any potential tech slip-ups happening while you’re talking.

Your recruiter should send you a link to join the meeting, which means you’ll be able to tell what program you will be using. If you’re planning to use a laptop, check the webcam works before you join the meeting and figure out which angle your laptop should sit at. You want to be seen!

Call a friend using the same program so you can test out the microphone and how you look to them on camera. This will give you the confidence that you won’t have to keep moving your camera around while you’re talking.

If you wait to set up your technology, you could find yourself fumbling and that won’t help your nerves.

Choose Where to Sit

Face to face interviews
Every time you turn up for an in-person interview, you’ll know where to sit as your chair will be in front of the interviewer and their notes. It’s a little different when you are interviewing via an online platform!

Video interviews
Where you sit for your interview really does matter. You need a suitable location that enables the interviewer to see you clearly.

Video interview tips like this one will help you to be physically prepared before you meet the employer on screen. Make sure that you sit somewhere that gives you a clear background, too. If you’re sitting in a video interview, you don’t want a bed or laundry in the shot.

If your desk usually sits in front of a window, you may need to adjust where you sit to get through this interview. You don’t want the light glaring on your face any more than you want it behind you and making you look like a silhouette on camera.

Lastly, make sure that the space you choose to sit in is quiet. If you’re on a video call, background noise is going to be distracting and interrupt you while you speak. Try to make it so that you are alone in the area while you’re talking and you’ll feel more confident.

Practice Your Interview Techniques

Whether you are interviewing face to face or over a video link, practicing your technique with a friend is a smart way to feel truly prepared. It’s always worth practicing with someone face to face as well as via a video platform so that you can get a feel for both interview types.

In fact, practice is one of the best interview tips that you could use. If you don’t have anyone to ask, record yourself and play it back to see how you hear or how you look.

It’s important to be able to speak with confidence and you can do that when you have had enough practice.

Plan Your Outfit

Practicing your interview techniques is much easier when you are wearing your interview outfit. The way you dress for your interview is going to impact your confidence.

Face to face interviews
A 2018 study detailed some of the things that employers take into consideration during the hiring process, and attire was one of them. If you ensure that you dress the part, you will feel more confident and know for sure that you are in ‘interview mode’.

Video interviews
It might be worth remembering that if you have a video interview instead of an interview in person, you should be sure to be fully dressed. Don’t be the person wearing pyjama bottoms and then have to stand up and move in the interview!

Even if you are at home doing this interview, you deserve to feel confident while you answer the interview questions. Comfort is key but there has to be a balance so that you aren’t underdressed!

Focus on Your Answers

Face to face interviews
Once you have everything else ready, take the time to focus on the interview itself. If you’re interviewing in person and you need a moment to think, take that moment. If you need the interviewer to rephrase a question for you to be able to answer it effectively, ask them to rephrase it. Interviewers aren’t looking to catch you out; they want you to give them an in-depth answer and they will give you the time to do that.

Video interviews
When you are video interviewing, there may be a delay when you’re talking due to the connection, so use the time to think about your answer. Pausing after you speak to give the other person time to answer prevents interrupting each other, which is common during video interviews. If you experience any technology interruptions, be calm and wait for them to resolve – don’t panic!

While you’re talking, look at the camera rather than the screen so that the interviewer feels as if you are looking them in the eye. Lastly, make sure that you are aware of your body language. You may be in a video interview, but your body language and posture are on display.

Ask Questions

The last thing to consider is the questions that you want to ask the employer while you’re having the interview. You should remember that they’re not just interviewing you; you’re interviewing them, too. This needs to be somewhere you want to work and develop, and asking the right questions is going to help you to do that. Take notes during the interview so that you have an idea of what you wanted to ask at the end. Some of the questions you could ask could include:

• What do you see happening in this role in the first six months?
• Why did the previous employee leave this position?
• Where do you see the company going in the next five years?

These questions are just examples, but they do give you a feel for the role you’ll be stepping into and what the company is hoping for in the next few years.

Summary

It’s completely normal to feel nervous about interviewing no matter how you are going through the process. If you haven’t completed a video interview before, you might have felt out of your depth without the tips above. With our help, you can feel supported through the interview process and land your dream job.

For more guidance through the interview process and help with answering common interview questions, contact us today.