How to ace a job interview
Remember in high school when you had exams to study for and you often felt as though you had to read every page in your textbook ten times over in order to prepare? Twelve months or so of content to familiarise yourself with, anagrams to create phrases from and quotes from novels to write down to the word…
But in the end, how much of it did you really need to know? In an entire exam, what percentage of the entire course you studied is in that paper booklet? Why did you doubt yourself, or were taught to doubt yourself so much not to remember anything?
Job interviews are similar to exam study in a way. You can never know what you’ll be asked. You can provide the answers with your previous experience, what you’ve detailed in a cover letter, and by providing a portfolio. By no means lie in these kinds of documents (it will ALWAYS come back to bite you), but you can manipulate resumes to suit the job you’re applying for.
For example, if you’re applying for a media role, keep it refined to your media experience and detail it. The only exception being if you’re fresh out of uni and have only had jobs while studying. However even still, which skills are complementary to the role you want?
We’ve got some great stories here at Hotglue about how our team secured their jobs here, from ringing the intercom and straight out asking for a job, insulting the company’s social media presence...
Here, we detail our best tips for nailing a job interview. Best of luck!
SHOW EAGERNESS TO LEARN
Is there a skill that you’re missing that you know the company can teach you? Perhaps it’s a software or program which is valuable to have in the industry. Does the company deal with others internationally which may require learning a second language? It could be a soft skill such as improving your networking skills, leadership capabilities or collaborating in teams more. Showing strong interest in learning is a great conversation starter in interviews and shows that you’re still developing professionally. No one applies for a job they can already do 100%.
WHAT CAN YOU DO THAT ISN’T BEING DONE?
Researching prior to a job interview is key, but also try and track down one or more missing points. If you can be an extra pair of hands to do more than you’re being asked to do, it’s a real help to your chances when applying for a job. Are they on social media? Perhaps they don’t have the time to focus on it. You may not even know that they’re struggling internally-- perhaps not enough cross-skilled employees-- so detail what you love doing at work and the light globe might go off for them that you could help them out.
BE HONEST: WHY ARE YOU REALLY APPLYING?
Why do you want the job? Easy question, right? Simple answers would be having an income, getting some experience and in some very often circumstances, desperation. Thinking about the real reason you’re applying, and voice this honestly when the dreaded “Why do you want to work for us?” question comes in the interview. Is this role a stepping stone for you in your career? Say that. Why wouldn’t the company want to foster someone to be the best they can be? A supportive interview environment says a lot about the office environment. Having colleagues and bosses that tailor your work and give you opportunity to develop the skills you will one day use elsewhere (or not, who knows?) is a blessing, and will only happen if you’re honest about what your end goal is.
BRING HARD COPIES OF YOUR APPLICATION DOCUMENTS
It’s a good idea to print off your CV (the one you sent them in your application, not your five pager that details your high school stats-- see point in intro), and any supporting documents that may be handy for your potential employers to have a physical copy of. They may not need it-- they might’ve done this already. But the effort shows time-saving, efficiency and also drives homes how keen you are for them to consider you for the role.
RESEARCH. RESEARCH. RESEARCH.
By the time the interview comes around, you should:
Know everything that the business does according to their website;
Know which clients they manage or collaborate with;
Be able to refer to past works as examples;
Be familiar with the company’s mantra or slogan if they have one, and finally;
Have a question prepared.
Don’t get stuck umm-ing and ahh-ing! An interview shouldn’t be a quiz, but impressing with your research offers brownie points. All job interviews have the “Any questions for us?” moment so think back to point #2 above and ask a question back! Such as, “Why don’t you do this? I know a great way to implement it/I would love to help.” Bingo!
YOU’RE TALKING ABOUT YOU
How hard can it be? Introverts may struggle talking themselves up in job interviews as it could sound boastful, whereas extroverts may overrun the conversation with details and anecdotes. Neither is a bad thing, as long as it’s relevant. Be proud of what you’ve achieved rather than assuming you’re being arrogant. Talk to circumstances where you’ve struggled and found a solution. Many people suggest starting or maintaining conversations by talking about yourself— which can just mean telling a situational anecdote like an essay paragraph! What was the conflict and how did you resolve it?
You have nothing to lose with a job interview! If it goes poorly, or if you end up being rejected for the role, push on. One more interview is one more experience. Good luck!