Date published
19/06/2023
Make An Impression with Our Top Interview Tips
Make An Impression with Our Top Interview Tips
Job interviews can be nerve-wracking. Luckily the ability to portray yourself professionally is a skill that can be tailored, revised and honed. Are you hoping to make a stellar first impression at your next job interview? Read on for our top tips.
Preparation is Key!
Prior to your interview, review the questions that are most frequently asked by employers and think carefully about how you want to answer them. Prepare for questions such as “tell me about yourself”, “Tell us about a time that you went above and beyond.” and “What is your greatest strength and weakness and why?”. Practise answering interview questions like these with a friend and ask them to give feedback on your technique.
Research the Organisation
Website
Does the company’s website promote particular values, promises or statements? Check to see if they have a careers or recruitment page, giving extra thought to any interview questions that could be of use. Look for existing vacancies on their site alongside company news and blogs to further assist your research. Researching the business is your opportunity to get a comprehensive idea of what the company does and how it operates. Bonus points if you research their competitors too!
Social Media
Pay attention to the type of activity posted by the company on their social media pages. Reviewing these accounts will help you to get a good grasp of what is important to them as an organisation. Keep an eye out for posts that discuss company culture – do they actively input their company ethos? If so, you can use this information to your advantage. Furthermore, LinkedIn is a valuable tool for you to see who is currently working for the company. This insight can be useful in tailoring interview questions, and also serve to help you feel more familiar with your interviewer.
Location
When visiting the premises of a business, ensure you understand where they are located. Plan ahead so you know where to park and the exact location of your interview. A little preparation here will give you peace of mind to arrive relaxed and on time.
Behaviour During the Interview
First Impressions Count!
What you wear in an interview will demonstrate your ambition to impress. Attending an interview in smart corporate attire will ensure that you make a great first impression. Employers always give feedback on candidates’ choice of clothing – whether this be appropriate or inappropriate. Make sure you get it right!
Start your interview with a warm and friendly introduction, ensuring that you thank your interviewer for their invitation to meet with you. You might even wish to compliment the business itself, making an acknowledgement of your positive experience at reception to build instant rapport. Remember to smile and maintain eye contact, showing your positive attitude with confident, professional body language. This will all serve to demonstrate good engagement with the interview experience.
Be Calm and Collected
Answer questions calmy, clearly and confidently. Pay close attention to the job specification to ensure that the skills you mention in interview relate to the specific skills mapped out by the employer. Think about the skills and experience you have gained and apply those skills to each role you are interviewing for, using the same method when relating to company culture and values. Bring real life examples from your career to date, demonstrate the soft skills you’ll use to your advantage, and outline how you’d approach scenarios or tasks listed in the job specification.
Show Interest and Enthusiasm
Demonstrate your enthusiasm for the role by asking a couple of questions. Steer away from questions that centre around development opportunities and ask questions that celebrate the company. Ask the interviewer what they enjoy about the company, their personal experience within the organisation and why they are proud to work there; people love to discuss their successes! When an interviewer asks, “Have you got any questions for us?” you may wish to respond, “I know it sounds cliché, however you have covered all of my questions I had prepared so may I take this opportunity to thank you for your time and consideration”. Finally, launching a discussion around feedback timeframes and next steps is an active demonstration of your interest and enthusiasm for the role.
Following Up
Solidify your stellar first impression with a follow-up call with Impression. We suggest being completely honest in your interview feedback, talking about both the positives and negatives from your experience. We also suggest that this is done immediately after interview to ensure that we can pass this information without delay on to the client. This process once again solidifies your eagerness for the role and maintains the momentum in the interview process.
Our Approach
At Impression Recruitment, we pride ourselves on the support we give to you through every step of the recruitment process. In addition to personalised CV advice, we deliver one-to-one interview training to all candidates. Our expert assistance is FREE of charge to all candidates who are registered with us.
If you’d like to be added to our candidate database, register your CV with us today: https://www.impressionrecruitment.co.uk/contact/
Or, contact us via our offices:
Harrogate Office: 01423 855 966
Harrogate Business Centre
Hookstone Avenue
Harrogate
HG2 8ER
Darlington Office: 01325 952 599
Business Central
2 Union Square
Central Park
Darlington, DL1 1GL