You have finally made it to the interview stage and it is time to show the employer what you are made of. Try out our helpful interview tips and secure that elusive position
As you enter the interview room
"An interview is a little bit of a performance, and it’s a little defensive, depending on your nature. But what could be more fun [than] to talk about yourself and have everyone stare at you like they’re really interested?" (Steve Martin, Actor)
It may not seem so, but try to think of your interview as a fun opportunity. Be chatty and positive. Don’t treat it as a laugh, but smile when appropriate. The interviewer may well be onto his/ her fifth applicant of the day by the time you enter the room. If you convey the right attitude, you will be remembered as the candidate that smiles in the face of pressure.
Interviewers often make up their mind about a candidate within the first two minutes of meeting them so, with this in mind, make sure you do these three things:
• Make eye contact.
• Smile – give the impression of being happy to be there.
• Give a good handshake.
The Importance of Handshakes
It is vital not to appear half-hearted so guard against giving a weak handshake. It is like a pathetic hug you get off someone that doesn’t really want to hug you and so just flops their arms loosely around you. It may be construed as displaying a lack of character and complete lack of effort.
Steps for a decent handshake
Some may find these tips patronising but many people really do not know how to shake someone’s hand properly:
• Approach the interviewer(s) and present him/her with your right hand. Don’t bound over, it may scare the interviewer. Be calm.
• Make it warm and enthusiastic.
• Take a relatively firm hold of the interviewer’s hand, but not a grip – there shouldn’t be any bone cracking sounds.
• Release the hand after a second or two. Not that much shaking actually goes on. It is just two people acknowledging the presence of each other in an agreeable manner. Whatever industry you end up in, you’ll have to perform this greeting frequently.
Speaking at Your Job Interview
When you sit
Sit upright with your shoulders back and relax. The main thing is to be yourself and at ease. If you are comfortable, you can really listen to what the interviewers are saying, which is difficult to do when you feel overly tense.
Have a chat
Often the questions in the first part of the interview are to find out a little more about you beyond your CV and cover letter. Subtly extend this if you can to establish a bond.
Example
| Interviewer: |
Where are you from? |
| Interviewee: |
Suffolk. |
| Interviewer: |
I’ve never been. |
| Interviewee: |
It’s in the South East, very pretty but very quiet. Where are you from? I’m detecting a hint of Geordie in your accent? |
| Interviewer: |
Very good! I am from Newcastle. I’ve lived in London for 30 years now though, so my accent is a bit diluted. |
| Interviewee: |
My best friend from university is a Geordie. I've been there a few times. |
And so on. Establishing a rapport can be an immediate tension reliever for both parties and act as a reason for the interviewer to remember you as a person he/she had a chat with and had things in common with. This will also get the interviewer talking about themselves, which most people are happy to do. The interviewer will then associate you with feeling good about him or herself.
Dish out the Eye Contact
If there is more than one interviewer, share out your eye contact. If one interviewer seems nicer than the others, it is a natural reaction to focus on him or her. Don’t make this mistake – it is important to continue to address all of them. If one asks you a specific question, focus your attention on that person. Make sure, however, that you glance at the others to keep them involved.
If you can keep everyone involved, the interviewers will know that you have the potential to be able to chair a meeting, make a presentation or be able to perform any task where it is important to communicate with a number of people at the same time. Next time you are with three or more people, take the opportunity to tell a story. Make an effort to look at all the people listening.
Then watch as someone else is telling a story. Do they look at everyone? The chances are, if there are many people there and they only talk to one person, the others will stop listening.
Use your common sense about how long your answers should be
Interviewers tune out quite easily so keep it simple, relevant and interesting. Use hand gestures and keep your tone upbeat. If their eyes begin to glaze over then try to wind up your answer as soon as you can. It’s acceptable to ask for clarification. Some interviewers actually score people higher if they ask for a question to be clarified because it shows good listening skills. To say something like, “In other words ...” or “So you mean …”, is fine if you feel that restating it would clarify things.
Don’t be afraid of silences
You are allowed to ponder on how you would like to answer the question. Just say, “Do you mind if I think about that?”. Just don’t leave it too long.
Be animated
Show that you are engaged when the interviewer is talking. An ability to listen well will definitely be picked up on. The interviewer is likely to share more information with you because you seem interested.
