Preparing appropriately
The only way to position yourself in the best light is by adequately preparing for the call or interview. Trust me there’s nothing worse than calling up candidates, only to hear how ill-prepared they are based on their answers. Nervous or not, it doesn’t come across well.
I don’t mean to scare you, but the reality is you only have one good shot at making a positive impression before you can move on to the next stage.
Let’s get stuck in to strengthen those interview skills
Oops, the Job Description again!
To get you started, read over the JD and Person Specification. You’ve made it this far for a reason, so it’s your turn (again!) to tell hiring managers and telephone interviewers why you are the best person for the role, in a non-arrogant way.
If you’re applying for junior roles, come prepared with at least 3 concrete examples of how you approached certain tasks to deliver a result (remember Situation, Task, Action, Results). If you’re applying for managerial roles, you will also need to include any stats-based examples, e.g., by changing or repositioning X, we increased customer satisfaction by X and reduced negative complaints by X over an X number of years.
Research like you mean it
Review the career sites of the organisation you have an interview for. What 5 key pieces of information are relevant for the job you’re being interviewed for? What are their values, principles and goals? How well does this align with your job and career goals? If you’re unsure, spend 5–10 minutes jotting this down, as this will come across naturally when speaking to the hiring manager or via telephone interview.
Research the company on LinkedIn (in incognito mode on your web browsers only!). This allows you to get a slightly deeper insight into who you may potentially be working for. If the details of the interview/call invitation include the recruiter or panel member’s names, look up their LinkedIn profiles. Use what you now know to think ahead and consider what types of questions they may ask about you, your interest in the role and how this makes you well suited for this opportunity.
Yes, it’s a lot to prepare, but I promise you it’s worth it.
To go even further and take that extra step, research the company on the news (subject to country of operation). Go on Google, BBC, Sky News, Aljazeera, and Channel 4. Have a look and see if anything interesting and related to your job has recently taken place. Particularly for senior positions, it’s important for any future strategic insights.
Back to the application, CV and cover letter
Now for the second part, get your application, CV and cover letter back out again. Review this in detail, are there any additional examples you can think of that will highlight why you meet the person specification of the role provided?
What I like to do is come up with 1 or 2 examples per person specification. You can jot this down on your notes E.g., Difficult Customer — Missing Door Handle, or something easy to refer to. An example that you can easily recall the STAR for. Be sure that it strongly refers back to the person’s specification criteria.
Eventually, once you have about 10–15 examples, this can form part of your notes (take it with you to interview/write it somewhere visible by your webcam). Depending on the question the recruiter or panel member asks, you can quickly think of which example to use following the STAR method. Although it’s typically fool-proof, be prepared to answer wild-card interview questions.
Here we go!
For senior roles (or any other roles really), you need to go to the interview with your version of a Strengths Weakness Opportunity Threats (SWOT) analysis and credible tactics plan. Subject to what information you have access to, prepare multiple examples of how you would solve problems the team, department or organisation are facing. If you’ve found this job through a recruiter, ask them what the hiring manager wants the job holder to achieve in the first 6 or 12 months. This should be in the job description. However, if there isn’t one, call the hiring manager and see if they can tell you anything about this, even if it’s indirectly.
Be prepared for in-depth critical questions the panel member may ask. Yes, it seems like it’s a lot, which it is, but even if you don’t get the job now, they’ll most likely want to keep in touch if you provided some remarkable insight without having full access to their internal information. At senior levels, it is an unwritten expectation that you will be going above and beyond before you even get the job. Sorry ☹
If you’re at a loss as to what interview questions may be asked, google some webpages or even YouTube channels to get you started, Monster and LinkedIn are pretty reliable. Although most organisations will have a page on their career site telling you what to expect at their interviews. If you’re working with a recruiter, ask them, as they are very willing to help you make them their commission, should you be successful.
Additional ways to shine at an interview is to consider if there are any other key skills not listed in the person specification that you think would be beneficial or crucial for the role. If you are 1000% sure this is missing, think about preparing a relevant STAR example. This could make or break your application, so be sure you’re risking it all for the right reasons.
Another aspect of interview prepping is having questions of your own. Hiring Managers want to see you are engaged with the role and how you picture yourself in it. Typical questions can include something like: ‘what someone in the role would be expected to achieve within the first 3 months (if junior), 3 -6 months (if more senior), and 1–2 years (if at the executive level or beyond). Be careful not to ask this question, if they’ve mentioned this in questions previously asked. Another one to ask is what would a typical day or week look like for a successful candidate.
For top marks, try and come up with questions of your own. Especially, if you see something is missing or unclear from the JD, Person Spec or what the recruiter has informed you about the role.
Most importantly, don’t bring up salary at the interview unless they ask. If they do, ask for reasonably more than the maximum advertised/discussed. This will only be worth delving into should you get the offer anyway, and who doesn’t want more money?
Body Language
To prepare for any interviews, I recommend going slightly off the beaten path and considering practising some vocal exercises before they take place. This is one way to focus on something other than the interview itself, and two, to get you thinking about how your voice comes across. Having virtual meetings or phone calls, means your exercising those cords more so than before. Plus, you just might enjoy it! #notweirdatall
I implore you to speak over the phone, virtually and in person with a smile. Doesn’t matter how hard you try to hide it; people can generally tell if you’re happy to be interviewing for a job or not. This will come across if you speak with a smile. However, tone it down if you’re starting to resemble the joker from Batman and your cheeks feel like they’re on fire. Not cute.
When it comes to full body language, having your back straight, and open arms/shoulders with a focused gaze, let panel members know you mean business, and that you know your business. No one likes to interview candidates who don’t have an air of confidence around them. The most hawk-eyed hiring managers will be able to spot this a mile off.
Housekeeping interview tips
For virtual and telephone interviews, ensure that no one disturbs you. Keep your phone on do not disturb, put a visible sign on the door, you are not to be interrupted. If you have young kids (subject to age), ensure they have activities to keep them busy and engaged. If you can, ask a family member, friend, or trusted neighbour to keep an eye on them while you’re on the call or virtual interview.
The main difference between virtual and in-person interviews is that online interviews require more patience (be prepared for internet disruptions).
When preparing for a virtual or in-person interview, choose your outfit wisely. Smart office attire works every time unless corporate pictures show everyone in hoodies and jeans; then smart casual should be your go-to.
Keep your environment clean and clear, with little to no distractions. Check your internet connection 5 minutes before your interview and go to a location where the signal is typically strong.
We’re done — Finally!
Now that you’re fully armed with all the different ways to prepare for your interviews, let me know how you have or haven’t progressed on your job hunt journey. Or, if there are other tactics you’ve found work for you, let me know how they landed you that job.
One of my most favourite and confusing mottos stands, there is usually more than one right way to do anything and interviews are one of them!
Ciao for now!