Interviews can be challenging, but they hold the power to shape your career, especially when pursuing senior positions. If you feel a bit out of practice with your interview skills, you might find yourself slipping into one of the most common traps! But don’t worry—you’re not alone. As HR Consultant Jess Gleeson points out, these mishaps are very common. In this blog, we help you prepare effectively to avoid typical pitfalls.
You might have heard the expression, “If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.” This is never truer than when it comes to interview preparation. Jess explains that poor preparation often stems from a lack of time, underestimating the importance of thorough preparation, or experiencing anxiety that hinders effective research.
So, what should you do to ensure you’re adequately prepared? First, dedicate adequate time to researching the company’s mission, values, recent news, and specific job descriptions. A lot of this information can be found on the company’s website. Next, practice your responses to common interview questions and prepare insightful questions to ask the interviewer to demonstrate your engagement and interest.
Lateness often results from unforeseen circumstances such as heavy traffic, unexpected delays, miscalculations in travel time and not knowing where to go once you’ve arrived for the interview.
To prevent arriving late, Jess says, plan your route in advance, consider potential traffic or unforeseen delays, and aim to arrive 10-15 minutes early to allow for any unexpected circumstances. If you’re still unsure, you could even do a test run to the spot at around a similar time to gauge the various uncontrollable factors.
The habit of dominating the conversation can arise from interview anxiety, an eagerness to impress the interviewer or a lack of self-awareness regarding speaking time. The interviewer will know you have lots to say, but make sure the answers you share relate to the question being asked.
To ensure you’re not overstepping, practice active listening skills, allow the interviewer ample time to speak and ask questions, and strive to provide concise and impactful answers that effectively communicate your value, explains Jess.
A lack of confidence, difficulty articulating achievements, or focusing on negative aspects can compromise self-promotion. Your resume has got you to the interview, says Jess, and it’s important that you go beyond what has already been provided to the interviewer.
Prepare examples of your skills and accomplishments using the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result). When you adhere to these interview tips, you highlight your strengths and how they align with the job requirements. It also demonstrates to the interviewer how to apply past experiences to new situations.
Poor body language during an interview can indicate nerves, a lack of genuine interest in the role, or underlying confidence issues. According to Jess, it’s natural to feel some nerves, and most interviewers understand this. A good interviewer will reassure you that feeling anxious is normal. Engaging in the interview process is important, so ensure your body language demonstrates your interest and enthusiasm.
You will improve your body language and maintain a professional image by maintaining eye contact with the interviewer, sitting up straight with good posture, and using open and welcoming gestures. Practice good posture and avoid fidgeting to maintain a composed and confident demeanour. Remember to request a short break if you become unsettled during the interview.
Choosing inappropriate clothing often results from misunderstanding the company’s culture or a lack of attention to detail. The old saying is to dress for the job you want, not the only one you’re applying for, and it’s a smart strategy. After all, first impressions count.
So, how do you foolproof your professional image? Jess recommends researching the company’s dress code and choosing comfortable and appropriate professional clothing for the specific role and industry. If in doubt, ask the opinion of someone you trust.
Failing to ask questions during an interview can indicate a lack of genuine interest in the role, a fear of appearing uninformed, or simply forgetting to prepare questions beforehand. This can signal disengagement and a lack of curiosity to the interviewer. Remember, an interview is just as much an opportunity for you to find out about the company as it is for them to find out more about you. An interview is a chance for you to determine whether you’d like to be a part of the organisation.
Demonstrate your interest by preparing a list of questions to ask the interviewer about the role, the team, the company culture, or future growth opportunities. This proactive approach will highlight your engagement and eagerness to learn more.
Failing to follow up after an interview can be attributed to overconfidence in the interview outcome, forgetfulness, or a lack of understanding of proper professional etiquette. Although not everyone will agree that following up is required, this interview tip guarantees you another touch point with the interviewer.
You can demonstrate your professionalism and continued interest by sending a personalised thank-you note within 24 hours of the interview. Make sure your note includes an appreciation for the interviewer’s time and reiterate your enthusiasm for the position and the opportunity to contribute to the company. It’s a good way to remind the interviewer of who you are and what you can bring.
These days, virtual interviews are common and present their unique challenges. For a start, there are technical difficulties, distracting backgrounds, and problems in reading non-verbal cues. Poor internet connection, microphone issues, or unfamiliar video conferencing platforms can disrupt the flow. A lack of attention to detail or a casual approach can lead to a messy or unprofessional background. Difficulty reading non-verbal cues on a screen or a lack of awareness of the impact of virtual communication can lead to misinterpretations.
So, how do you handle these challenges? Jess recommends testing your technology beforehand to ensure a stable internet connection and familiarise yourself with the chosen video conferencing platform. Choose a professional and neutral background for your video interview, free from distractions. And pay close attention to the interviewer’s nonverbal cues, such as facial expressions and body language.
Remember, interview success is all about practice, preparation, and knowing yourself better. If you apply these interview tips and avoid common pitfalls, you’ll feel confident and professional in your next interview. Don’t be discouraged if you do fall into one of these traps. After all, every interview is a chance to learn something new. Who knows? Your next big career move could be just one engaging conversation away!
Can we help you find your next professional development opportunity? Contact a Career Consultant today at 1300 76 2221 or via Live Chat to explore your options.
Congratulations! You’ve spent hours fine-tuning your resume and you’ve managed to land an interview! However, now you need to deal with the actual interview process. One of the most valuable job interview tips? Be prepared. Whether you are looking for a job in the education, creative, medical, retail, IT or hospitality sectors (to name just a few), interviews typically follow a basic process.
However, the nuances of an interview can differ depending on the industry, the organisation and what the company is looking for in an employee. Here are 15 valuable job interview tips that will ensure you are primed, prepared and ready to face the interview head on!
Interviewers will often probe to discover how much you know about the organisation. In other words, if you’ve done your research! So before your interview, find out as much as you can about the company, its competitors and your role in the business. Keep your research specific to the industry so your answers are as relevant as possible.
One of the most valuable job interview tips is to prepare to go into every interview with your top “selling points” in mind that will outline what makes you the best candidate for the position. You should also be prepared to tell the interviewer job-specific details, including what abilities it requires that you possess, what interests you about it, and what rewards it offers that you find valuable.
Multiple candidates are often interviewed for the one position, so interviewers will screen interviewees to pinpoint those that will be most suited to the job. One valuable tip is to put yourself in the interviewer’s shoes and ask yourself why they may not want to hire you. Anticipating their reservations will allow you to be prepared with a defence.
There are ton of interview questions that you might be asked and also a ton of websites that will provide their own recommendations on questions you should be prepared to answer. (Here is Seek’s take on the matter – Common Interview Questions and How to Answer Them). But with so much advice on offer, how do you prepare? Think about your age, work status, the job you’re after, and the organisation you’re hoping to work for. Then it’s just a matter of narrowing the list down!
Another one of our job interview tips is to prepare a list of questions for the interviewer that demonstrate your knowledge of the organisation as well as your serious intent. Interviewers almost always ask if you have any questions. If you don’t have any, they might assume you’re not really interested in the role. One good all-purpose questions is, “If you could design the ideal candidate for this position, what would he or she be like?”
You may be all over your preparation in terms of having answers to possible interviewer questions. But will you answer them in a confident and convincing way? A great tip is to practice with a couple of friends. Practice interviewing each other in a “round robin” process where one person acts as the the observer and the interviewee gets feedback from both the interviewer and the observer. Do this a few times, switching roles as you go.
One of the most important job interview tips is to make sure you have good hygiene, are presented well and display positive body language. You should be aware of the company culture and dress code. When in doubt (and depending on the job), men should wear a suit and women their best professional attire. Even if it’s a more casual environment, a good rule of thumb is to dress up a notch. Better to be safe than sorry! You should also have good posture, make eye contact and speak clearly.
Many interviewers begin interviews with this question, and the response shouldn’t necessarily be about your family, your fur baby or your favourite Netflix series (unless they ask you specifically of course!) The best way to respond is to list things you think they will find important and relevant for the role, and then mention that you are happy to expand upon them if required.
Some studies have shown that interviewers make up their minds about candidates in the first five minutes of the interview! The rest of the time, they look for reasons to confirm their decision. So what can you do to set yourself up for success in those five minutes? Enter the interview with enthusiasm and energy and thank the interviewer for their time. Then start with a positive comment about the company and express how excited you are to be possibly joining it.
Even if you do communicate your selling points during an interview, does the interviewer truly understand what they are? To ensure they do, don’t bury your selling points in long-winded comments. Be precise with them and then give examples. It’s also important you don’t dwell on past negative experiences during an interview. Even if asked specifically about them, round out your response with a positive by admitting that although a certain job or experience was tough, you embraced the challenge … and you’re now after a new one!
Some interviewers view job interviews as adversarial — candidates are hoping for an offer and the interviewer is trying to hold back on giving one! It’s your job as an interviewee to transform this “tug of war” into a relationship where you’re both on the same side. It could be as simple as expressing that you are happy to have the chance to learn more about the company, and the interviewer learn more about you.
Usually assertive candidates sometimes become overly passive during job interviews, often in the effort to be polite. However, politeness doesn’t equate to passivity. An interview should be just like any other conversation — a process in which you and the interviewer both input and respond to each other. Ultimately though, it is your responsibility to make sure you walk away with the interviewer knowing as much as they can about your key selling points.
In a perfect world, no interviewer will ask illegal or inappropriate questions, however it can happen. Questions about your age, race, religion, gender and marital status are often taboo. One of the important job interview tips is to be prepared. With your response, it can be as simple as saying something like, “I’m not sure how that’s relevant to my application” or “I’ve not decided about whether children will be part of my future, but I can assure you, that at this stage, I’m committed to my career”.
If you get to the end of the interview and decide you really want the job, make it clear. Tell the interviewer you are really interested in the role and would be excited about working for the company. You could say something like, “I know my strongest abilities are (insert them here) and I see these as being the abilities you most need for this position”. If you follow this tip, you’ll not only be explaining why you think the job is a good match, but subtlety saying you’ll accept it!
To write a good thank you email, spend time after the interview jotting down a few things you and the interviewer discussed. Customise the email by referring specifically to some of the conversation points. For example, “I was particularly excited about what you said about …”. Also write down what you could have done better in the interview and make adjustments before you head off to the next one!
If you’re a manager or business owner responsible for hiring staff you’re probably looking for interview tips to make your job a little easier.
If you’re new to the role of hiring manager, you’re probably more familiar with being on the receiving end of interview questions. And while being interviewed is undoubtedly nerve-wracking, you might be surprised to find that conducting an interview can be just as daunting.
So, we asked Paul Di Michiel, a human resources executive and career coach, and Karen Gately, a leadership and people-management specialist, for their top tips for interviewers.
One of the top tips for interviewers includes asking relevant questions based on each candidate’s resume, advises Mr Michiel.
“Spend time going through each resume and develop relevant questions around each individual’s background and experience.
“Develop an interview guide which can be used for all interviews, ensuring a consistent evaluation of all applicants.”
We say …
Those who fail to plan, plan to fail. Make sure you do your homework when it comes to planning your interview or you may miss a great candidate.
The trend to ask questions about a candidate’s biggest weakness or where they see themselves in x years, or worse, what they would be if they were an animal, car or crayon, is definitely not one of the top tips for interviewers.
“I’m sorry, but you’re not Sigmund Freud. How would you even hope to ‘analyse’ the responses to such questions?
“Ask relevant, insightful, practical and useful questions that elicit the information you need to make an informed hiring decision.”
We say …
I’d be a yellow crayon because it’s a happy colour! Interviews are time-consuming so don’t waste time on irrelevant questions – stay on point!
One of the most relevant tips for interviewers includes asking behavioural questions to discover whether a candidate’s skills match those of the job.
For example, if you’re hiring for a customer service role, don’t ask ‘What customer experience have you had?’, ask instead:
Can you give me an example of where you went above and beyond for a customer?
Can you tell me about a time when you dealt with a challenging customer situation?
These questions directly ask for examples, rather than generalisations.
“If someone has demonstrated these skills in the past, you can be more certain they can replicate these skills in the future.”
We say …
Concrete examples of achievement say more than generalisations. Make sure you ask for demonstrated skills that are critical to the role you’re hiring for.
You liked the candidate enough to schedule an interview, which is taking up their time as well as yours. So, be polite and treat every candidate with respect, advises Mr Di Michiel.
“Throw away the swinging lightbulb – don’t play good cop and bad cop! Put the candidate at ease.
“Engage in conversation, have some small talk and allow them to be relaxed enough to perform in the interview.
“Let’s face it, most people would rather be the interviewer than the interviewee!”
We say …
It also makes good business sense to leave a good impression. If candidates leave feeling unsettled or dismissed, what does that say about your business? And consider what they’ll say to their friends, family – and social media following! Definitely one of our favourite tips for interviewers!
Make sure you focus on engaging in a conversation with the interviewee, rather than launching into an interrogation, said Mr Di Michiel.
We say …
A conversational tone will glean far more useful information, which you can use to make an informed hiring decision.
Karen Gately, a leadership and people-management specialist, said interview preparation is important, but the interview questions you prepare are unlikely to be the ones you need to ask.
“Discovering the depth and breadth of an individual’s skills and experience, and ultimately suitability for the role typically requires both a structured and flexible approach to interviewing.
“Knowing what you should and shouldn’t ask, starts with understanding the outcomes you need to manage and achieve.
“The questions you ask need to not only help you to accurately assess and select the right person for each job but also build a positive relationship with every candidate as well as comply with the law,” said Ms Gately.
We say …
We agree, one of the less obvious top tips for interviewers! Prepare, then relax! Use active listening skills to ensure you interview each candidate as an individual.
Avoid confusing your candidate – another of the important top tips for interviewers! Don’t ask questions that are difficult for candidates to understand.
“Keep in mind that the point of an interview is to gain an accurate insight into each applicant.
“Confusing candidates with overly clever or off-putting questions undermines your own process.”
We say …
Of all the top tips for interviewers, we agree – keep it simple and stay on point.
Perhaps one of the most critical tips for interviewers is to remain within the law.
In Australia, it’s critical to avoid asking unlawful interview questions as anti-discrimination laws protect candidates.
“It is typically unlawful to consider personal characteristics such as someone’s age, race, gender, disability, marital or parental status when contemplating hiring them.
“Equally, asking questions relating to national origin, religion, political opinion, personal attributes or sexual preferences are likely to be regarded as discriminatory.”
Despite the law, there remains an unacceptable rate of discrimination experienced by job candidates in Australia. According to the SEEK research, 40 per cent of applicants report that they have been asked unlawful questions. 24 per cent were asked to provide their age, 18 per cent their marital status and 12 per cent whether they had or were planning to have children.
We say …
Read 7 Unlawful Interview Questions (And How to Respond if Asked)to gain insight into what you can and cannot ask candidates.
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