My Top 7 Job Interview Tips

Having been both an interviewee and interviewer I have learnt and discovered some very good job interview tips and techniques that will help you make a great first impression with all your future job interviews. But remember, even the best job interview tips won’t help you unless you spend time preparing yourself and acting on them.

Job Interview Tips  1 – Job Interview Preparation

If you are lucky enough to have a detailed job description that sets out specific selection criteria or a person specification, ensure that you have relevant material to talk about against each criterion mentioned. Interviews based on these often require the interviewer to score candidates against each criterion, so don’t miss any out

Job Interview Tips  2 – Dress for the Part

American-run companies and other large multinationals are especially hot on very formal dress, so if you are applying to one of these, be especially particular about your job interview dressing style and appearance.

Job Interview Tips  3 – Find out as much about the company as they find out about you

Do your research in advance whenever possible,

If you really can’t do this, make use of the time immediately before your interview either by talking to members of staff and preparing your job interview questions, or taking note of any publicity about the organization and its customers that you can find.

Remember that all this hard work before the interview benefits you too – it helps you fine tune your interview techniques and work out whether they are the right employers for you, not just whether they think you are suitable for them.

Job Interview Tips 4 – Effective listening

All good job interview advice will tell you to concentrate – don’t let nerves stop you hearing what is being said.

• Listen carefully to what you are being asked – rather like reading an exam question before you put pen to paper.
• Don’t interrupt your questioner
• Show that you are listening actively, but ask appropriate questions to help the conversation along.
• Understand your interviewer’s point of view, preferably without suggesting that they would benefit from counseling or therapy.

Job Interview Tips 5 – Interview do’s and don’ts

• Do treat interviewers as if they are intelligent
• Do, if you have a considered (and minor) criticism to make, follow this up with something positive.
• Don’t just flatter your interviewer.
• Don’t tell them their brochures would make a great lining for the cats litter tray, or that your granny would do a better job of their website.

Job Interview Tips 6 – Make your employment history, however short, however long, work for your success:

Check your CV or application form to remind yourself of exactly what your employment history comprises.

Don’t discount experiences such as voluntary work or brief periods of work experience -this is especially important if you only have a brief Job history.

If you have helpful colleagues, friends or managers, talk to them about your faults and your strengths to clarify the picture for yourself. You may discover good points you weren’t even aware of and, if you discover any bad ones, you don’t need to share these at an interview.

Spend much more time thinking about your strengths and successes than your flaws and failures.

Ensure that you use a range of situations to demonstrate your selling points; don’t build all your answers around one project or one incident.

Job Interview Tips 7 – Identifying Your Weaknesses

Consider carefully which weaknesses you choose to reveal when you are asked about these at interview. ‘I don’t have any at all’ is a reply that lacks conviction and immediately lets slip that either arrogance or dishonesty may be among your less pleasing personal qualities. If, however, you believe you may be harboring psychopathic tendencies or you absconded with the tea club funds from your last job, this may be a truth better kept to yourself.

Consider weaknesses that can be seen as training needs, as areas that may require some development, but you have already begun to work on successfully, or those weaknesses which can be made to sound like strengths: being impatient/enthusiastic about doing a good job, taking on too many projects/being a really hard worker, etc..