5 Secrets To Help You Ace Your Next Interview

Ok, so YOU know that you’re the right person for the job….that you could do it standing on your head. But how do you go about convincing the person sitting across the table from you? 

Here are our 5 recommendations for nailing your next interview…

1. Do Your Homework

It’s the one thing that will often make you stand out from everyone else who’s sitting out in the waiting room. Yes, you always need a bit of adrenaline running to perform at your best, but there’s a difference between a bit of adrenaline running and you sweating profusely because you haven’t done your preparation.

2. Research The Company

As soon as you know that you have an interview with a particular company, log on and immerse yourself in everything they have online.

Start with the ‘About Us’ page, which usually tells you everything you need to know about how the company started, how it’s viewed in the press and what its mission statement contains.

This will give you a clear idea of the type of company it is and – more importantly – whether it’s the type of company you WANT to work for.

3. Research The Person

Once you’ve learned everything you can about the company, move on to the person who is going to be interviewing you.

LinkedIn is usually your best bet, but you can also google for news items or industry publications.

4. Prepare

Prepare a comprehensive list of questions in your head. Just bear in mind that, at the end of any interview, your interviewer is going to say, ‘So, do you have any questions?’

You may already know this but ‘um’ is not a question and is not designed to create a good impression so, as we said in the first point, do your homework.

Turn the interviewing tables on your interviewer by asking questions such as, ‘What are you looking for in a candidate?’ This will show that you’re sizing them up as much as they are you.

5. First Impressions Matter

On your way into an office building for your interview, be nice to EVERYBODY. From the guy who nearly scrapes your car in the car park to the person sharing the lift with you, make a point of smiling and be ultra nice.

It’s not the first time an interviewee has had an altercation with someone on their way into an interview, only to find themselves staring at them across the desk during the interview….chances of getting that job…..less than zero.

No matter how many interviews you attend, there’s one thing that you should always remember. Just be yourself.

You’d be surprised how many people put on their CV that they ‘enjoy’ skiing, when really they’ve been to one of those fake ski slopes one afternoon when they were eleven, or that they do ‘charity work’ because they throw a 10p coin into a box that someone’s rattling on a Saturday afternoon in Corn Market!

Just be yourself and smile. Don’t try to be something that you’re not, because the chances are that the interviewer will be able to see right through you.

When it comes to interviews, just take a deep breath. Extend your hand for a warm handshake. And relax……