Interview Techniques

What are some of the good Interview Techniques?
So you've made it. Well, almost anyway. The interviews are the crucial next obstacle to bagging that job or vacation placement. It's all about making the right impression, but when it's face-to-face, candidates can get nervous. So, here are a few tips.

Before the Interview:
- Re-read the copies of your covering letter, CV and/or application form. Try and think what an employer might see as your strong or weak points. Are there any areas that still need clarification?
- Everything you put in your application is fair game, so be prepared to answer questions on any information you have given.
- Re-read the job description. Talk to as many people with similar experience with that job. List the qualities and skills needed and try and match your own qualifications and experience to them and think of how you can demonstrate that you have them. This makes it easier to convince the employer that you suit that job.
- Find out as much as you can about the employer. Try employer information files in your Careers Service (for UK firms), read their recruitment brochures carefully, or look at their websites.
- Keep aware of news on that company or firm and on news about their sector. Make notes on these and form consistent opinions.
- You might also try and sign up for open days to get to know more about the firm or company and it will also be a good chance to meet some people whom you might be working with or might form useful contacts later.
- Make sure of the details - time, date, location and the name and job title of the interviewer. Take their letter inviting you the interview along and have their contact phone number on you in case anything goes wrong. Also make sure you know how to get there and how long it will take. Prepare your outfit the day before (washed and ironed). Set the alarm clock and try and get a good night's sleep so you'll be fresh for the interview.

On the Actual Day:
- First impressions do matter. Always arrive earlier so you can calm down, go to the washroom and make sure that your appearance is neat and tidy. Dress appropriately and watch your body language. Be positive, enthusiastic and honest.
- Understand that the interviewers are not the enemy. They genuinely want to hire good candidates and will give you every opportunity to prove yourself.
- Be clear when answering their questions. Try to relax and be yourself. If you are too nervous, you might talk louder or softer, or avoid eye contact, etc.
- Pay careful attention to the interviewer - make sure you answer the question as directly as possible, otherwise you might seem evasive or that you are waffling.
- Volunteer relevant information about yourself but try and judge from the interviewer's response if you have gone on too long. You can often do this by watching the interviewer's body language.
- Avoid going off on a tangent on irrelevant topics.
- Be honest though positive - if you have to talk about negative information or e.g. a weakness, tell them how you learned from it and overcame it.
- Don't be afraid to ask for clarification when you don't understand the question.
- Pause slightly to think before you answer. Interviewers do not expect an immediate response.
- If you are given the opportunity to ask questions, don't ask anything you should already know from details they sent you. Rather, only ask a question if you genuinely have one. Examples of questions to ask are: about details on the job, why the interviewers themselves enjoy working there, and what happens next or how many candidates are being interviewed, etc.

Aftermath:
- Once you have left the interview, do think about what you have learnt and your impressions of the employer. The interview is also a chance for you to decide if you want to work for them.
- Think over the questions you were asked and make notes on whether you were satisfied with your answers and how would you change them if you could, for other interviews.
- If they do not contact you when they said they would, take the initiative to ring them and check the situation.