Feeling anxious and nervous before an interview is very normal, however, if dealt with appropriately the outcome can be positive.
Here’s some tips to help.
Firstly give yourself some credit, you did not get shortlisted by accident. The potential employer has clearly seen potential in your application and wants to find out more.
Interviews are not setup to trip you up, interrogate you or have any other hidden agendas. The employer has a gap which your skill set can fill. Take confidence in knowing you have the knowledge, experience and qualifications to do the job. Again, you have been invited for a reason.
Now you just need to showcase and articulate the experiences you have gained over the years – yes it’s easier said then done, but by simply preparing beforehand and writing down your thoughts you will be able to deliver. Not everyone has the gift of free styling their way into a job so a bit of interview prep will go a long way.
So how do you prepare? Read and understand the job specification and requirements fully, learn more about the employer and industry trends, this will give you an understanding of their working culture.
Write down key facts about yourself and the relevant experiences you can bring including your strengths, achievements, goals and weaknesses.
Structure your answers well, many times we see the interview panel ask a question and the interviewee tries to give too many different examples of too many different situations and ends up not answering the question. It’s better to give one example which is comprehensive and paints the whole picture.
Structure your answers by using the method below:
a) What was the situation?
b) What did you do to provide a solution?
c) What was the outcome?
This shows the panel a complete range of skillset, subject knowledge, experience, adaptiveness, professionalism, understanding and the end to end cycle of your problem-solving methodology and approach.
Most interviews now take place online. On one hand, it could be a good thing as the screen acts as a barrier between you and the panel, giving you an extra layer of confidence, but at the same time you lose the element of body language, which can play a big part in contextualising your answer. So, you need to ensure your voice is replacing your body language, do not be monotone, be assertive when required, be excited when needed, by using the right tone of voice you can really drive your answers home.
Dress smart, your first impression is a visual one, it sets the tone for the rest of the interview and shows the panel your professionalism and seriousness for the job. Hence it’s important to dress smart. Just because the interview is in the Middle East for example do not attend wearing a thobe, wear a suite instead.
Ask questions, prepare a list of thoughtful questions to ask the interviewer about the company, their vision, the position and what part the role plays in the overall plans of the company, the team and the interview panel.
Be on time, in fact be 10 minutes early. Apart from being professional, being slightly early will also allow you to settle down and get comfortable.
Preceptor provide comprehensive training for interview preparation, presentations, public speaking and much more. Get in touch with us and see how we can help you