Our Consultants Ryan and Andy are here on hand to give you their six top tips when interviewing.
1. Research the company you are interviewing for
Look at certain articles or whitepapers the business have published on their website. Understand fully what they company offer, how they structure their business and examples of their work. Research news articles within the specific sector and understand their hiring process. All this information will equip you with the tools and knowledge to build the foundation of your interview.
2. Research the Hiring Manager
Find our from your recruiter or the HR department who will be interviewing you and have a look at their Linkedin profile before your interview. Find out whatever you can in regards to their career and understand what they are looking for in terms of skill set and personality. Find some common ground between you and them... did they go to the same university as you? Do they have similar qualifications and certifications to you? Whatever it might be, create a commonality between you and the hiring manager and give yourself the foundation to build that relationship.
3. Prepare Questions
Typically speaking we tell our candidates to have at least 3 questions prepared for their interview. The reason being that it shows you are intrested in the business, the opportunity they are offering and that you are keen to learn more. We advise our candidates to ask questions such as: Why are they hiring for this position? What they are looking for in terms of skill set? and What the need is for the business? Not only will this give you more information for whatever step is next, it will help you come to a conclusion in your own mind as to whether this opportunity is for you.
4. Dress Appropriately
If you don't have enough information on the company, play it safe and dress one tier smarter than you would expect them to dress on a daily basis. For example, if you know they wear suits, wear a suit and tie. Ask your recruiter or contact within the business for tips on this as they will understand the culture and dress code.
5. Be Authentic
It is you that they are hiring, so make sure your personality shines through in that interview. Culture fit and soft skills are almost, if not more, important than qualifications/skills and everyone is human. If you are feeling a little nervous- tell them. Spin it around into a positive. It could be that you are so keen for this position that you feel the pressure to do well- hiring managers are people too, and they will understand.
6. Get Feedback
Our final tip would be to ask how it went at the end of an interview. This is such a powerful tool and asking their concerns there and then and their perspective of how it went will allow them to elaborate on anything they don't feel they have enough detail on, and it will also make you seem as a conscience and evaluative candidate.