Handling Job Interviews & Interview Technique Tips

There is a real skill to job interviews! Here are some tips and advice to help you perfect your job interview technique:

A man and woman sit at a table having an interview

Preparing For A Job Interview

Before your job interview, find out everything you can about the company (read their annual report, which can be obtained by telephoning them).

Re-read your CV, thinking through your own career and the interview questions they might ask you, based on the information you have provided.

You should try to anticipate the interviewer's questions and prepare suitable answers. You should also prepare some questions to ask the interviewer yourself. Preparation is the key to a successful interview!
To do well at any job interview you will need to convince the interviewer that you are technically qualified to do the job.

You will also need to show that you are sufficiently motivated to get the job done well and that you will fit in with the company's culture/organisational structure and the team in which you will work.
What to wear - you should dress smartly for the interview and should leave home earlier than you need to on the day of the interview - you may be delayed by traffic or for other reasons. Be courteous to all employees of the company. At the job interview itself you must be positive about yourself and your abilities - but do not waffle.

More To Think About

Difficult / Fantasy Job Interview Questions

If you cannot answer an interview question, you might reply with "That's an interesting question - how would you tackle it?". Fantasy interview questions can be very difficult to answer. For example you might be asked: "What would you do if you won the National Lottery?". You should give the answer, which in your opinion will give you the best chance of getting the job.

Factors That Can Cost You The Job

- Being unprepared for the interview. - Poor/limp handshake. - Saying unfavourable things about previous employers. - Not being able to communicate clearly and effectively. - Being aggressive or acting in a superior way. - Making excuses for failings.

Job Interview Body Language

One of the key job interview skills is making sure you give out the right signals. You should always look attentive - so do not slouch in your chair. Never lie to anyone in an interview, your body language and tone of voice or the words you use will probably give you away - classic body language give-aways include scratching your nose and not looking directly at the other person when you are speaking to them.

Afterthoughts

If you're not getting the job offers you desire then you need to look carefully at your interview technique. You should try and get as much feedback as possible from the people who have interviewed you. If you have been unsuccessful in obtaining a job, ring up the interviewer and ask them where they think you fell down, and how they think you could do better. Once you have got feedback you can modify your interview technique and hopefully do better at the next job interview.

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