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10 Secrets to Successful Interview Preparation

No matter how many you may have been to, interviews are always a daunting prospect. Thorough interview preparation can help to ease your stress and provide you with the best possible chance of convincing the interviewer that you are the best candidate for the job. Remember, your CV only gets you to the interview; it's the interview that gets you the job!

As an experienced recruitment consultancy, here are our 10 tips for successful interview preparation:

1. Do Your Research

A big part of your interview preparation should include researching the company; its mission, values, products/services and accomplishments. It is also beneficial to look wider and be aware of the latest developments in the industry and the company's competitors. An employer will always find it impressive if you have researched their company and can discuss what specific change and benefits you can bring to them.

2. Anticipate Questions, but Don't Rehearse Answers

“Why did you apply for the role?”, “Why should I hire you?” and “How can you use your previous experience for the role?” are some of the most typical interview questions  As part of your preparation, also think about behavioural questions that are intended to ascertain how you will behave in certain situations: “What would you do in the following scenario..?“ or “Give us an example of how you would handle a certain situation?”.  It’s tricky to prepare for such questions but it’s worth thinking about particular situations that you have handled well and your past achievements. Read the job description very carefully to understand what kind of personality they are looking for.

Although it is important to anticipate questions and think about possible answers in advance, try not to rehearse them too much. When you're nervous, you might fall into the trap of providing prepared answers without actually answering the question. Remain flexible and adapt your answers.

3. Be Skill Specific

Candidates often read through their entire CV during their interview, forgetting that the interview presents an opportunity to draw on their most relevant experience and expand on it for the interviewer. You should know your CV inside out for referral purposes - don't just read it. Always have examples ready to support every statement you make.

4. Know Your Audience

Get to know your interviewers before the interview: their role within the company, their previous experience, particular interests and aspirations. Don’t forget that an interview is a two-way interaction. If you understand the person/people interviewing you, it should help you to build a rapport with them and aid them in picturing you as part of the team. Social media is your best friend in this instance; use LinkedIn to research your potential new employers.

5. Deep Clean Your Social Media

Speaking of social media, don't forget that nowadays employers are likely to research their job applicants’ personality through LinkedIn, Facebook or Twitter. As part of your interview preparation review and modify the information that is public on your social media; check out our guide on making sure your Facebook profile doesn't cost you your job.

6. Look the Part

They're not the be all and end all, but first impressions count. You have been invited to the interview, so clearly you have the right skills and experience, but are you a great cultural fit? 

If you have done step one of your preparation properly, or have spoken to your recruitment consultant, you should have a good idea of the company culture and the appropriate dress code. If you are unsure, it is better to be slightly over-dressed than under-dressed  And, of course, always make good eye contact, give a firm hand shake and smile.

7. Interview the Interviewer

How many of us have written “emergency” questions before an interview (when we're not really interested in the answers) simply to allow us to say something when an interviewer asks "have you got any questions?". Although it’s essential to think of questions in advance, they should really relate to your discussion during the interview.

Remember that your interview also allows you to determine if this is the right opportunity for you. Don’t ask questions about the salary and benefits first. Of course, these are important, but you should decide if the role is right for you first.

8. Eliminate Unnecessary Stress

Remove unnecessary stress by preparing your travel arrangements beforehand. Plan your route and allow extra time for any unexpected delays. Be sure to get everything you need to take with you ready the night before so that you don't arrive late.

9. Use Your Recruitment Consultant

If you are using one, your recruitment consultant will be keen for you to be successful and will assist your interview preparation greatly. A good recruitment consultancy will have an established relationship with the company you are going to be interviewed by and will be able to give you a brief note on what they are looking for.

10. Get Confident!

Putting some time and effort into your interview preparation will give you the best possible chance of getting the job you want. Shake off some of those nerves and believe that you have what they're looking for!

Want more tips and advice?


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6 Tips on Using Mobile Technology to Attract Top Talent

by Steve Phillips, Client Solutions Director

Mobile recruiting has become one of the most popular subjects in the world of talent acquisition. The explosion of mobile technology has created a huge new audience of potential job-seekers presenting new challenges for recruiters and HR professionals to develop innovative ways of engaging with their targets.   

Currently,70% of all job seekers search for jobs via mobile devices. In addition, 20 % search for information about careers through these devices. The analysis of our own website traffic indicates that our mobile traffic has nearly doubled in the last three months with a growing number of applicants using our Recruitment App to apply for jobs. Furthermore, the LinkedIn infographic highlighting top global recruitment trends this year shows that 87% of businesses believe that they have not adequately invested in making their recruiting process mobile friendly.

  

It is clear that if you are not incorporating your mobile capabilities into your sourcing strategy, you are missing the trick! So what’s next?

Here are some tips from an IT recruitment business on how to make the mobile technology help you attract the best available talent:

Align your mobile recruitment strategy to corporate goals

According to the recent research by Aberdeen Group, despite the focus on mobile initiatives, talent acquisition functions still operate independently, and their strategies don’t support the overall business objectives. “One-size-fits-all” model won’t work, you should determine which approach will be best for your organisation.

Mobile-optimise your careers site

Increase your talent pool by making it easy for candidates applying for jobs through their smart phones, iPads and tablets. Ensure your mobile-optimised careers site can be viewed through a variety of mobile devices.

Make it as user-friendly as possible

Mobile job seekers are likely to have limited time and/or possible restricted bandwidth. A tiny screen to view content doesn’t help either! Make it as user-friendly as possible by only including the most essential information (e.g. big, clear font, prominent phone numbers) and avoid excessive imagery.

Enable referrals on-the-go

Referrals are a very powerful source of candidate attraction. Make it easy for your employees to use it. Equally give your candidates the ability to “share” your job listings through social networks.

Make your social sites mobile friendly

Increasingly job-seekers use networks like Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook in their career search. Besides, 38% of organisations surveyed in Aberdeen’s talent acquisition research believe that LinkedIn will replace the resume over the next few years. 60% of Facebook usage is via mobile devices. How easy is it for your potential targets to view and apply for a vacancy you posted on your social networking sites through their smartphones?

Focus on candidate experience

First impressions count! Mobile recruitment strategies play a vital role in improving employer branding. If the initial candidate experience is poor – you are in danger of losing strong applicants. This is your opportunity to promote your organisation showcasing its strengths. Simple steps such as clearly explaining what happens after the application is completed, providing the name and direct line of the recruiter and  links to useful resources such as blogs & guides to assist the candidate make a huge difference.

What is your experience of managing mobile technology to attract talent?

 

Share your views in our comment box below. Get in touch if you would like to discuss how you could best develop a results-driven mobile recruiting strategy to expand your talent pool and increase brand awareness of your organisation.