How to Ace the Interview
So, you have followed all our interview preparation tips, and the day has finally arrived. Your outfit is impeccable, a crinkle-free copy of your resume is available in your bag, and you have researched the company so much you could arguably write a thesis on it.
Now – you just need to get through the next 45 minutes and come out the other side. Whether you are successful in securing the job or not, it is always nice to come out of an interview feeling good, which is why we have put together a few interview tips to help you put your best self forward.
Walking in
Your first chance to make a good impression is here – and good impressions count.
It might be obvious, but nerves can easily make people forget the obvious, so we are still putting it out there.
Make eye contact with everyone in the room
Smile
Shake hands (put a pin in this step throughout COVID)
These three steps are integral in presenting yourself as a personable and confident person who will leave a good impression. Doing 2/3 steps would usually come across as strange – except for right now, as COVID is active it is safer to skip the handshake.
Answering the questions
There’s no way to know what questions you will be asked in an interview – but there’s a few you can almost guarantee. One of these will be a variation of ‘can you tell us a little about yourself?’, ‘can you tell us about your career so far?’, or ‘can you give us some background on who you are and what you do?’.
Your interviewer is asking this question because they want to know more about you and more about the professional you.
This is your chance to tell the interviewer a little about what led you to apply for this role – maybe you have just moved to town with your family, or the role seems like the perfect opportunity to put your skills to use.
Remember, there is no need to tell your life story here – and it’s best that you don’t. Make sure to practice this answer from home, as this question can be surprisingly overwhelming in interviews and can lead you into a ramble.
Tell me about your strengths is another common interview question you might come across, and it’s one where you need to be honest – not only with the interview panel but with yourself. This question allows you to show a high level of self-awareness, and an easy way to do that is by showing why something is your strength. To do this, use examples of times when you’ve demonstrated strengths in professional settings, so, rather than just saying ‘I pick things up quickly, say: A strength of mine is that I’ve always found it easy to pick up things without much instruction, in my current role, for example, I have been required to pick up multiple advance computer software programs with minimal training. I was able to do this quickly and ended up training my colleagues on how to use the programs’.
Now, for the opposite of this question – what is your biggest weakness? This question feels tricky on the surface because you do not want to undersell yourself, but you also don’t want to answer with a cliché like ‘I work too hard’. Remember, the interviewers are watching you closely to see how you respond to this question.
Our solution? Be honest, let a weakness of yours be known – but tell them how you are overcoming it. For example:
My biggest weakness is that I can be too hard on myself when I make a mistake. I tend to wallow in it and it leads me to lose my confidence. This is something I have been actively working on through self-talk and choosing to see criticism and feedback as a growth tool, rather than as a personal attack. I am very aware of when this happens and have found my reactions are improving.
If you followed our resume writing and interview tips, chances are you did your research. If you have not yet – here is your chance! It’s very likely the interviewer will ask you what you know about the company, and this is a question you want to prepare for.
Being able to demonstrate that you have done your research is so important in showing the interviewers that you want to work there. Knowing the companies mission statement and company values, and how you relate to them, will have you acing this question.
Your answer to this question can also help you build a foundation for why you want this role, a question you will likely be asked.
Hopefully, the answer is that it is your dream role, at your dream company, in your dream industry, and you have the perfect skills for it. More likely though, is that you want a job, the money is good, and you cannot wait to get out of your current company. But, this question is easily answered when broken down into two components; 1. Why do you want this specific role and 2. Why do you want to work in this specific business?
Why should we hire you? At the end of the day, each question you answer should filter back into this one. The employer wants to know what you can do for them, and the interview process is your opportunity to show them. Knowing the position description will help you with this one, if it repeatedly mentions communication or attention to detail, highlight career moments where you have excelled in these areas. If you are looking for a long-term career – tell them. Employers want to know what kind of investment they will be making.
Hopefully – these tips have helped you feel more prepared for your interview. Next week, we will be diving into behavioural questions on the Clothier Careers blog page.
If you’re looking at applying for a new role, reach out to the team at Clothier Careers to see how we can help you prepare, whether it's interview training or a resume and cover letter package, we have you covered.
