Interview Help
Do's and Don'ts
DO:
Get the job
Your homework
Employers really are impressed if they know you’ve done some digging. Best
places to look? Their website, for one; news sites for another. If you’re
able to drop into the conversation a little piece of info to show you know more
about them than the job description they sent you, you’ll definitely win points.
Come with questions to ask them
At least three questions would be a good safety net. Good questions to ask are about
the company’s vision/direction (‘I’d be interested to learn more
about the company’s plans for the next x years’); about what it’s
like to work there (‘could you tell me a bit about the company culture?’)
and, of course, about the role itself (‘how will success in this job be measured?’
or ‘what’s the most important priority for this job?’).
Dress to match the role
A suit may be standard for a City job, but may be totally out of place in a new
media environment but, when in doubt, dress ‘up’. In other words, go
more, not less formal. Ladies, avoid those overly short skirts and overly made-up
faces if you want to be taken seriously; gentlemen, best leave the Bart Simpson
tie behind. Dark suits, pastel / neutral shirts are most likely to ‘fit in’
in most places.
Be aware of your body language
FIRM handshake on meeting (shows/fakes confidence), lean forward when they’re
asking a question (shows interest), look’em in the eye when you’re talking
(shows confidence), and try not to touch your face when talking (suggests you’re
nervous or may have something to hide…).
Remember your manners
...such as showing up on time (late to interview could mean late with work), and
thanking them at the end of the interview for inviting you along and considering
your application
DON’T:
Waste your chance
Forget to switch off that mobile
If your phone goes off, it’ll turn them right off. It’s that simple.
If you do forget, and it rings right in the middle of your interview, apologise,
and mute it straight away. Answering it is not an option – even if it’s
accompanied by ‘excuse me, I’m terribly sorry’, regardless of
whether it’s a personal or professional call.
Badmouth a former boss
...or colleagues. What most people who do this don’t realise is that it’s
not what it says about your ex-boss that’s so interesting. It’s what
it says about you and your poor judgment, your emotional behaviour, your negativity,
and your unwillingness to share responsibility for bad working relationships, your
backbiting and…need we go on?
Read from your CV
It destroys any sense of confidence they may be building in you. You should know
everything you have written in your CV. Otherwise, they’ll start to question
if you really wrote it and, worse, if it’s really true…
Be afraid of silence
Don’t think you have to jump straight in to answer every question they ask.
That’s fine if you know the answer and the conversation is flowing. But they
may, in fact, prefer it if you take a bit of time, as it could just show them that
you’re someone who thinks things through. Take your time, and even ask them
to qualify or explain what they mean by their question before answering if that’s
what you need. As long as you just don’t take all day...
Contact us!!
We are passionate and experienced.
