Interviews, love them or hate them we’ve got you covered!
OK, so not many people love attending interviews but you don’t have to hate them either. If the thought of attending an interview fills you with dread, makes your palms sweaty and brings on hives have a read below of some of our interview hints and tips to help you breeze through the hiring process.
- 1.Don’t set yourself up for failure – preparation is key!
This is possibly one of the most important tips we can offer, the more prepared you are for an interview the more likely you are to succeed. This means researching the company, size, turnover, ethos and most importantly – what it is they do! Here at JR Personnel we manage the whole interview process for you including a comprehensive email before you attend confirming the location of the company, what they do, a link to their website, who it is you’ll be meeting and their job title, full job specification and the type of interview to expect (panel, competency etc.). The more you know about a company shows you are enthusiastic and interested in becoming a part of their team.
- 2.Dress the part
Think carefully about what to wear to your interview and dress appropriately. What’s the industry you will be interviewing for? Is it a very corporate company or family run business? If in doubt, we would always recommend smart, formal attire. It’s also important to remember that even if you’re attending a video interview from the comfort of your own home to still dress appropriately; track suits and pyjamas are a definite no, no! We have also had feedback from clients that they have interviewed people virtually who have been smoking, cooking or sitting in bed – try and find a space in your home where you won’t be distracted, disturbed with a neutral back ground behind you.
- 3.Know where you’re going
It’s so important that you know where you’re going on the day of your interview. If you don’t know the area or the exact location have a trial run there a couple of days beforehand and make sure you allow yourself enough time to arrive. Setting off early for an interview is always advised, that way if you get stuck in traffic or the train is delayed, you’ve still got plenty of time. Plus arriving early means you have opportunity to go through company background and potential questions again beforehand!
- 4.Don’t forget to interview them
Remember, interviews are as much for the client to find out about you as it is for you to find out about them. Having questions prepared not only means you come away feeling more informed about the company and the role but it always impresses clients when you have a couple of questions up your sleeve for the end of the interview. Here are some good examples below:
- Is this a new post or an existing one?
- How would you describe the ideal candidate for this role?
- What opportunities are there for training and progression in this role?
- How long have you worked for the company?
- 5.Body Language
Have you ever thought about what your body language says about you? When you’re being interviewed you want to project your enthusiasm and interest, good posture and eye contact is the perfect way of doing this. If you’re slouching in your chair, fiddling with your hair or looking around the room it can be interpreted as uninterested and rude. It’s normal if you’re feeling a little nervous to over gesticulate, bite your nails or keep touching your hair or face; try to make a concerted effort to keep your hands in your lap.
- 6.Your experience matters
It’s important to not only come across as well informed about the company you’re interviewing for but also about yourself and what is on your CV. Always draw on real-life experiences to emphasize skills you have, particularly if you’ve mentioned them on your CV, for instance when have you shown excellent team work and how did you go about it? How have you gone above and beyond expectations in previous roles?
We hope these hints and tips help you with the interview process but remember, our consultants are always on hand to offer further advice should you need it.
Interviews, love them or hate them we’ve got you covered!
OK, so not many people love attending interviews but you don’t have to hate them either. If the thought of attending an interview fills you with dread, makes your palms sweaty and brings on hives have a read below of some of our interview hints and tips to help you breeze through the hiring process.
- 1.Don’t set yourself up for failure – preparation is key!
This is possibly one of the most important tips we can offer, the more prepared you are for an interview the more likely you are to succeed. This means researching the company, size, turnover, ethos and most importantly – what it is they do! Here at JR Personnel we manage the whole interview process for you including a comprehensive email before you attend confirming the location of the company, what they do, a link to their website, who it is you’ll be meeting and their job title, full job specification and the type of interview to expect (panel, competency etc.). The more you know about a company shows you are enthusiastic and interested in becoming a part of their team.
- 2.Dress the part
Think carefully about what to wear to your interview and dress appropriately. What’s the industry you will be interviewing for? Is it a very corporate company or family run business? If in doubt, we would always recommend smart, formal attire. It’s also important to remember that even if you’re attending a video interview from the comfort of your own home to still dress appropriately; track suits and pyjamas are a definite no, no! We have also had feedback from clients that they have interviewed people virtually who have been smoking, cooking or sitting in bed – try and find a space in your home where you won’t be distracted, disturbed with a neutral back ground behind you.
- 3.Know where you’re going
It’s so important that you know where you’re going on the day of your interview. If you don’t know the area or the exact location have a trial run there a couple of days beforehand and make sure you allow yourself enough time to arrive. Setting off early for an interview is always advised, that way if you get stuck in traffic or the train is delayed, you’ve still got plenty of time. Plus arriving early means you have opportunity to go through company background and potential questions again beforehand!
- 4.Don’t forget to interview them
Remember, interviews are as much for the client to find out about you as it is for you to find out about them. Having questions prepared not only means you come away feeling more informed about the company and the role but it always impresses clients when you have a couple of questions up your sleeve for the end of the interview. Here are some good examples below:
- Is this a new post or an existing one?
- How would you describe the ideal candidate for this role?
- What opportunities are there for training and progression in this role?
- How long have you worked for the company?
- 5.Body Language
Have you ever thought about what your body language says about you? When you’re being interviewed you want to project your enthusiasm and interest, good posture and eye contact is the perfect way of doing this. If you’re slouching in your chair, fiddling with your hair or looking around the room it can be interpreted as uninterested and rude. It’s normal if you’re feeling a little nervous to over gesticulate, bite your nails or keep touching your hair or face; try to make a concerted effort to keep your hands in your lap.
- 6.Your experience matters
It’s important to not only come across as well informed about the company you’re interviewing for but also about yourself and what is on your CV. Always draw on real-life experiences to emphasize skills you have, particularly if you’ve mentioned them on your CV, for instance when have you shown excellent team work and how did you go about it? How have you gone above and beyond expectations in previous roles?
We hope these hints and tips help you with the interview process but remember, our consultants are always on hand to offer further advice should you need it.