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Candidate Resources
Interview Preparation
Set yourself up for success with our top interview preparation tips!
Preparation is key to making a great first impression in your job interview!
Do your research
More often than not, interviewers will ask some questions around your motivations to join a team/organisation like theirs, so it’s always good to be prepared with both answers to questions they may ask, and key company information for the role.
Do your research
Make sure to look at the:- Company website
- Company careers page
- Company social channels
- Job advert / job description
Be prepared for company specific questions
Such as:What are your motivations to join a team/organisation like theirs?What do you know about the company already?How would this role fit into your career goals and aspirations for the future?Plan ahead
You want to give the best first impression so it’s always worth planning ahead for:
- What you will wear – your recuiter will advise on the dress code for the interview, but if in doubt it’s always better to be overdressed than underdressed!
- Travel for a face-to-face– you ideally should arrive 10-15 minutes early to your appointment, so plan your route, check the building access, know where to park and factor in time for unexpected delays with traffic / public transport
- Virtual / Phone interviews – treat these with the same care as a face-to-face, and ensure you have good Wi-Fi / phone signal and have a quiet room to conduct this in
Highlight your experience
IT, tech and digital roles will often demand a certain level of experience and capabilities with different tech stacks and tools, so it’s a good idea to be prepared to discuss your relevant experience in the interview.
Revisit your CV
Clients will want to know more about your experience, and they may do a deep dive into your CV. We would always recommend going back through this to ensure that you are familiar and up to date with everything in there including your roles and responsibilities.
Prepare for technical questions
Always be prepared to have both technical and scenario-based questions thrown your way. This is so the interviewers are able to judge where you would fit into the team and your specific ways of working. For certain roles they may dive into your technical ability and your previous responsibilities.
Highlight your achievements
It’s always nice to have examples of how you have made an impact in your previous roles, especially when these achievements relate to the skills and capabilities the role you are interviewing for demands. Be prepared to highlight projects you have worked on (where you are able to disclose information of course) to help sell your abilities to the interviewer.
Questions you can ask
Don’t forget that you aren’t the only one who will be answering questions. You need to come prepared with questions to find out if this role and company are right for you.
Company Questions
These are general questions about the company. Remember if you have done your research you will not need to be asking how many people are in the company. Ask something topical and stimulating for the interviewer, i.e.:
- Where will the company be in 2-5 years’ time?
- What is the company ethos?
- What is the company environment/culture like?
- How do the different divisions within the company interact?
- How open is the company to listening to new ideas?
Position Questions
These questions should be focused on the position you are applying for. Remember, if you are asking technical questions make sure you know what you are talking about. Don’t ask questions that are above your knowledge, as the interviewer may turn them back at you. Ask:
- Who would I be reporting to?
- What kind of day to day support would I get?
- Would I have performance reviews and/or a development plan?
- What would be my biggest challenges within the first 6 months?
Interviewer Questions
What you have got to remember is that in most cases the interviewer will generally be working directly or indirectly with the successful candidate. It is important for you to find out some information about the interviewer i.e.:
- How long have you been with the company?
- What made you join the company?
- What makes you stay?
- What has changed within the company since you joined?
- If I got the position what would be the best advice you could give me to make it a success?
Development Questions
These questions are used to demonstrate your commitment to the company and how much you want to progress. It is important to not demonstrate too much of a desire to develop, this may make the interviewer think that you may leave the company if you don’t get what you want in 6 months.
Ask:- Where would the successful candidate be within the company say in 3-5 years’ time?
- If I prove my capabilities what chance is there for me to progress within the company?
How to close the interview
- If you are interested in the position simply ask the interviewer what are the next steps to the interview process
- Inform the interviewer that you are very interested in the role
- Ask the interviewer if there is anything in the interview that you have not clarified or if they have any concerns (It may be better to get these out of the way, rather than let the company stew on them)
- Once the interview is over thank the interviewer for their time
After the interview
It is very important that you call your Searchability consultant directly after the interview. This will allow us to take detailed feedback on how the interview went so we can inform our client of your thoughts.
Any unnecessary delay at this stage in the process portrays a lack of interest on your behalf and could influence the company’s opinion of yoursuitability for the role.
If you need any more interview advice from us please just let us know. We are here to maximise your success of securing the role that is most suitable for you and we will always help in any way we can to make sure you are fully prepared for this opportunity!