Start with the job description
Read it once, then read it again with a pen in your hand. Most job descriptions contain four or five things that matter and a fair amount of padding around them. Work out which is which, then prepare an example for each of the things that do.
And if we sent you the role, ask us what the hiring manager is actually concerned about. We usually know, and it’s often not the first thing on the advert.
Research the business, not just the website
Their website tells you what they say about themselves. Their recent news, their LinkedIn page and their competitors tell you what’s happening. Look for anything that changed in the last year: funding, a new site, a leadership change, a product launch.
Referring to one of those in the interview does far more for you than reciting their values back at them.
Know your own CV
You’d be surprised how often this catches people out. An interviewer picks a line from three jobs ago and asks about it, and “that was a while back” is a weak answer. Go through your own CV beforehand and make sure you can talk about everything on it, including the gaps and the short stints.
What to wear
The old advice was a suit, always. That stopped being true some time ago. Turning up in a suit at a business where nobody owns a tie can feel as awkward as the reverse.
Ask us. We’ve been to most of these offices and we’ll tell you what people there wear.
Getting there, or logging on
For an interview in person, plan the journey and add half an hour. Do the trip once beforehand if you can.
For one on Teams or Zoom, test the link the day before, check your camera and microphone, and find somewhere with a plain background and decent light. Have a phone number for the interviewer in case the technology lets you down, because occasionally it does.
The first few minutes
People decide how they feel about you early, and then spend the rest of the hour looking for evidence. Arrive ten minutes before, not thirty. Be pleasant to whoever meets you at reception, because they’re often asked afterwards. Have something to open with that isn’t the weather.
Answering the questions
Interviewers are looking for evidence more than opinions. “I’m very organised” tells them nothing at all. A short account of a time your organisation rescued a project tells them plenty.
Keep answers to around two minutes. If you’ve finished and they’re still writing, stop talking. Silence usually means the interviewer is still thinking, and filling it is how good answers get buried.
Many employers use competency-based questions, which have a structure of their own. Our separate guide covers how to prepare for those.
What to ask them
You’ll be invited to ask questions, and “no, I think you’ve covered everything” wastes the opportunity. Have four or five ready and expect two of them to get answered before you get there.
- What does success in this role look like after six months?
- Why is the role open?
- What’s the biggest challenge facing the team at the moment?
- How would you describe the way the team is managed?
- What’s the next step in the process, and when will I hear?
Afterwards
Call us while it’s still fresh. Tell us what went well, what didn’t, and any doubts you’ve come away with. We can often get answers to the things you didn’t want to ask in the room, and feedback is far more useful to a client the same day than a week later.
Got an interview coming up?
Speak to the consultant who sent you the role, or call us on 01733 234000 and we’ll point you at the right person.
