So, you've gotten through the hurdle of securing an employer's interest with your resume, but now the real challenge begins—the job interview.
While an interview is no guarantee you’ll get a job offer, your chances at it are much improved if you properly prepare for it well ahead of time.
Preparing for an interview might seem intimidating, but there are several steps you can take to prepare yourself for a successful interview from researching the company to deciding what to wear. Spending some time on interview preparation is essential if you’re going to put in a good performance and secure the job.
Types of interview
There are several different types of job interview. In some cases, you’ll only need to succeed at one of these to land the role.
In others, particularly at large graduate employers, you may face several interview formats throughout the application process.
- Face-to-face: the traditional and still most common form of an interview. You’ll attend the employer’s office and be questioned on your suitability for the job by an individual or panel. Face-to-face interviews usually last between 45 minutes and two hours and maybe preceded or followed by tests and exercises. The questions may be strengths-based or competency-based.
- Telephone: most often used by employers early in the application process to filter large numbers of applicants down to a more manageable number. If you’re successful you’ll typically be invited to a face-to-face interview or assessment centre. Expect a telephone interview to last around half an hour.
- Video: increasingly popular among large employers, particularly by zoom in these uncertain times. Video interviews can be live or pre-recorded and will tend to last around half an hour.
- Assessment centres: enable employers to compare the performance of lots of candidates at the same time. You’ll attend an assessment centre with other applicants and take part in tasks such as presentations, team exercises and psychometric tests.
As your job interview comes to an end, make sure you find out when you’ll be informed of the outcome – and thank the interviewer for giving you the chance to attend.
Make some notes about the questions that were asked and how you answered them while the interview is still fresh in your memory. This will help you prepare even better for any future interviews.
There are three potential outcomes:
Success: if you’re offered the job, make sure it’s right for you by discussing it with friends and family, and double-check details such as the salary before deciding whether to accept.
Rejection: if you’re unsuccessful, don’t be too downhearted as employers receive large numbers of applications for every role. Email the company to thank them for the opportunity and request feedback from your interview so that you can improve your performance next time.
Further steps: interviews are typically the final stage in the application process, but if the employer has not been able to make a decision you may be asked back for a second interview.
4 ways to prepare for an interview
Preparing for an interview primarily means taking time to thoughtfully consider your goals and qualifications relative to the position and employer. To accomplish this, you should perform research on the company and carefully review the job description to understand why you would be a good fit. Let’s look at the steps to preparing for an interview.
- Carefully examine the job description
During your prep work, you should use the employer’s posted job description as a guide. The job description is a list of the qualifications, qualities and background the employer is looking for in an ideal candidate. The more you can align yourself with these details, the more the employer will be able to see that you are qualified. The job description may also give you ideas about questions the employer may ask throughout the interview.
- Consider why you are interviewing and your qualifications
Before your interview, you should have a good understanding of why you want the job and why you’re qualified. You should be prepared to explain your interest in the opportunity and why you’re the best person for the role.
- Perform research on the company and role
Researching the company you’re applying to is an important part of preparing for an interview. Not only will it help provide context for your interview conversations, but it will also help you when preparing thoughtful questions for your interviewers. Researching the company and role as much as possible will give you an edge over the competition. Not only that, but fully preparing for an interview will help you remain calm so that you can be at your best.
- Consider your answers to common interview questions
While you won’t be able to predict every question you’ll be asked in an interview, there are a few common questions you can plan answers for. You might also consider developing an elevator pitch that quickly describes who you are, what you do and what you want.
Some jobs may involve a test or evaluation during the interview process. For example, if you are interviewing for a computer programming, development or analytics role, you might also be asked to write or evaluate lines of code. It might be helpful to consult with colleagues in the industry for examples of tests they’ve been given to prepare.