HOW TO PREPARE FOR A JOB INTERVIEW! (Last-Minute Prep for Job Interviews!) BEST INTERVIEW TIPS!

This only takes several minutes to do. First, go to the company or organisation’s website ‘ABOUT US’ page. Find out what they do, their mission, values and the products and services they sell.

And second, follow them on social media and take a look at their posts and latest news stories so you are up-to-date with what’s going on with the company. Researching the company will allow you to answer the common question, What do you know about our company? This is one of the most important steps when you prepare for a job interview because it shows commitment and genuine interest.

Within the first seven seconds of your job interview starting, the hiring manager will form an opinion of you – remember this, they don’t know you, and if you fail to dress professionally, it will tell them, without you saying a word, that you don’t have high standards.

Wear a professional and smart outfit to your interview, and if you are struggling to decide which colour to wear, I recommend dark blue – the colour dark blue represents trust and loyalty.

FIRST IMPRESSIONS – be punctual to your job interview. If it’s an in-person interview, arrive ten minutes early – sit in the reception area and read the job description, and remember to be polite to the receptionist. If it’s an online interview, log on at least 5 minutes early and make sure you are familiar with the interview platform and how it works!

BODY LANGUAGE – During the interview, sit upright in the chair, rest the palms of your hands on top of your knees and smile. Good body language is essential when you prepare for a job interview because it helps you appear confident and professional from the start.

INTERVIEW TECHNIQUE – Look the interviewer in the eyes and use active listening skills when they are speaking!

Taking documents with you to an interview shows the hiring manager you are prepared and organised. The 3 documents I recommend you take are as follows:

NUMBER 1 . Your CV or resume – you can get this out and read from it if they say to you, walk me through your resume.

NUMBER 2 . Any certificates or details of useful qualifications you have. For example, if you have completed niche training courses that demonstrate your industry expertise, take them with you to show the hiring manager.

NUMBER 3. Is a brilliant one – a 30, 60 and 90-day plan! This is a printed document that informs the hiring manager what you plan to do in the role in the first 90 days of starting work for the company.

I guarantee this, at the start of your interview, the hiring manager is going to say to you either, introduce yourself or tell me about yourself. You will be the most nervous at the start of your interview, so please make sure you practice your answer several times to help reduce anxiety. When you prepare for a job interview, mastering your introduction is one of the smartest things you can do.

When introducing yourself, talk about the following 4 things:

• The SKILLS you have that match the job role.
• Your EDUCATIONAL background and EXPERIENCE.
• Details of any ACHIEVEMENTS you have attained in life so far.
• And finally, the TYPE of person you are and what you will do in the role if they hire you.

Those 4 things stand for SEAT (S.E.A.T) and you can easily remember this structure because you will be sat down on a SEAT at your interview.

Let me now give you a brilliant SEAT structure answer for introducing yourself at the start of your interview.

SKILLS – Thank you for giving me this opportunity. I am a result-driven, enthusiastic, self-motivated and supportive collaborator with the skills and knowledge to match the job description.

EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND / EXPERIENCE – After graduating from college with excellent grades in (INSERT YOUR SUBJECTS), I worked for (INSERT COMPANY NAME), where I gained experience working on small and large teams, leading critical company projects, and helping the company create new products and services.

ACHIEVEMENTS – I am a high achiever. In my last job, I helped launch a new company product to achieve record sales, and I created a standardised training program for new company hires.

TYPE OF PERSON – If you hire me, I will be a great company role model, lead by example, take ownership of problems when they occur and prioritise my work in line with your commercial objectives. I look forward to sharing additional details in the interview regarding my suitability for this position.

The best way to demonstrate in an interview that you have what it takes to meet the role’s demands is to tell stories – think of 3 brief stories to share with the hiring manager of where you have:

1. Solved a challenging problem at work.
2. Worked as a team to complete a difficult task or project.
3. Worked under pressure.

During your interview, the hiring manager will ask you behavioural interview questions – questions such as, tell me about a time you worked under pressure; tell me about a time you solved a challenging problem, and tell me about a time you worked as a team.

One of the biggest mistakes people make during job interviews is failing to ask questions – remember a job interview is a two-way process – it’s also your opportunity to ask questions about the opportunity to make sure you want to work for the company. As you prepare for a job interview, planning smart questions shows maturity, confidence and enthusiasm for the role.

I recommend you ask 3 smart questions at the end. Here’s a list of 7 questions you can ask. Simply choose 3 from the list of 7, write them down on a sheet of paper and take it with you to your interview.

Q1. What’s the best thing about working for this company?

Q2. Can you tell me more about the team I would be a part of in this role and their responsibilities?

Q3. What advice would you give to the successful candidate who wants to excel in their work for your company?

Q4. What challenges is the team currently facing and what can I do in the role to help you overcome them?

Q5. What opportunities will there be for professional training and growth in the role?

Q6. What’s the company’s approach to performance reviews and who would I be accountable to?

Q7. What is it that the top-performing employees do in this company to achieve success?

This is a brilliant way to boost your chances of getting that all-important job offer! Within 24 hours of your interview finishing, send an email to the hiring manager expressing your thanks for the opportunity and to also reaffirm your interest in the role. Sending a follow-up email is a great way to keep YOU at the forefront of the hiring manager’s mind when they are deciding which candidate to offer the position to. Here is the perfect follow-up email script for you to send…

EMAIL FOLLOW-UP (Send within 24 hours of the interview finishing)

Dear Sir/Madam,

Thank you for giving me the opportunity yesterday to interview for the position of (insert the position) with (insert the company name).

I thoroughly enjoyed the process, and the interview further reaffirmed my desire to work for you. If you require any further information from me to help you make a design, please contact me, and I will be pleased to assist.

If I am offered the position, I promise that I will work hard to help the company achieve its commercial and financial objectives.

I look forward to hearing from you in due course.

Yours faithfully,