You’ve created a killer CV, written an amazing cover letter, and received news you’ve got yourself a job interview- congratulations! For many graduates the job interview can be the most daunting part of the application process. The fear of selling yourself to an interviewer can feel really scary. With the right preparation though, you can go into the interview with the confidence and knowledge you need. Here are 5 tips to help you overcome your fears and become an interview pro.
1. Read the job specification
It might have been a long time since you wrote your application so make sure you read through the job specification and spend some time thinking about how you can talk about the key points in interview. Re-read your application, so you know what impressed the recruiters in the first place but also think how you can elaborate more on how you are the right person for the job. Some people find writing a list for each quality or skill the employer is looking for a great way to revise prior to a job interview. Focus on the skills and experience you have for each point on the job specification, employers always want to see anecdotal evidence.
2. Know the company
Look at the company’s website and study their social media posts. Knowing what the company does and what their ethos is is very important. Search on the internet to see if the company has a mission statement. This can be a great way of getting to know a potential employer and could prove really impressive at interview.
3. Practice
If you’re still at university you can often book a session with a careers advisor who will give you a mock interview. This can be a great way of practising and getting to know which questions you find harder. If that service isn’t available then why not ask someone you know who works in that sector if they will ‘interview’ you, such as a family friend or mentor. By gaining this experience you will be more confident when walking into the real thing.
4. Prepare questions
At the end of every interview you will be asked whether you have any questions. It’s normal to think of some while you’re being interviewed, as you will often learn new things about the company and the role when speaking the interviewer but try and prepare some in advance. Think about anything in the job specification that is unclear or anything that is important to you. For example you may have been the captain of your university football team so might ask about company culture and whether there are any opportunities to join any company sports teams.
5. Use TheJobCrowd
Employers constantly tell us that there is nothing that impresses them more than a graduate who has properly researched the company and really knows why they want to work there. Look up your employer on TheJobCrowd and take the opportunity to read the reviews from other graduates – it will provide a great insight into life at that employer. Also take the advice of graduates by reading interview tips as these are the people that were successful in their applications. You can look these up here.