So, you’ve secured an interview for your dream job! How do you guarantee that you perform your best during the meeting?

Being selected to interview with a company is not a test. It is the opportunity for the employer to find out more about your experience, skill set and personality; also for you to find out if this is the right role for you. It is essential that you take some time to prepare and practise, so that you can demonstrate why you are the most suitable candidate.

1. Be prepared 

Re-read your CV and the job description before the interview, so you have a clear idea of the role, responsibilities and the type of person they are looking for. Research the company thoroughly and learn about their corporate vision, successes, competitors and regional/global coverage. Also be aware of their recent events/news.

2. First impressions count 

Dress appropriately; smile and shake hands firmly with your interviewer. Make polite conversation and remember eye contact is important.

3. Be clear and specific with your answers

Do not simply read through your entire resume, give a snapshot of your experience and significant achievements. Highlight your experience that is most relevant to the role that you are applying for. Be prepared to talk about your strengths and weakness and answer questions clearly and specifically.

4. Why are you the best person for the job? 

You need to demonstrate that you have the qualities or transferable skills they are seeking. Be prepared to share your experience, abilities and skills. Also explain why you are interested in joining the company.

5. Be positive 

Employers will be wondering about your ability to work as part of a team so refrain from talking negatively about your current/previous manager or colleagues. Employers are looking for motivated professionals who are looking for a challenge.

6. Remember your body language 

Sit upright and try to maintain good eye contact. During the interview, do not fold your arms and lean back or look to the floor. Many people cannot think and control their body language at the same time, which is why you need to prepare.

7. Expect the unexpected 

Your interviewer may try to catch you off guard. It is impossible to plan for every difficult question, such as “How would your manager describe you?” but try to appear relaxed and in control. Ask the interviewer to repeat the question if necessary but do not evade it.

8. Clarify 

If you are unsure of a particular question, or what you’re interviewer is asking you, don’t be afraid to ask for clarification.

9. Ask questions

This is also your chance to ensure that you have a clear idea of the role, the team, career progression for the role, training provided and culture. Leave the meeting with a clear decision as to whether this is the right job for you.

10. Get a good night’s sleep

Be as relaxed as possible on the day by having a good night’s sleep the night before. Plan your journey in advance and aim to arrive at your destination at least 10 minutes early.

Best of luck for your interview! For more tips please ask us for our interview guide.

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“Will you marry me?”

After what seemed like a lifetime (although in reality was about five seconds) she said, “yes.”

A couple of weeks ago I proposed to my girlfriend and despite the few awkward seconds before she replied, I was confident that this offer would be accepted because of the very thorough recruitment process I carried out:

Referrals: We were introduced by a third party (some friends at a barbecue). This was important as I was also able to speak to them to get references and background checks.

The vacancy: I was not actively looking to recruit when I met my future fiancée, I was quite happy to be single. However I was open to introductions and if someone came along who met my strict criteria then I was happy to create a vacancy.

Initial screening: As part of my initial due diligence I had to ensure that there was nothing that would immediately disqualify the candidate, eg the possession of a wedding ring, criminal record or Man United season ticket.

Tell the truth: On the first meeting with this woman, I did not tell her my deepest, darkest secrets (I am an Arsenal fan and have every Clash album ever produced).  I decided to be discrete at our first meeting but it was important that I did not lie about these things either. If I had claimed to support a team that that actually wins trophies or that I was cool then she would have soon seen through these lies at a later stage and I would have lost all credibility.

Is the candidate qualified? There are certain important qualifications in any potential wife. For me, it was someone cute, intelligent and fun to be with. If during our first meeting I realized that she wasn’t qualified, then I would have had a duty as an interviewer to firmly but politely reject her at the first opportunity.

Two-way process: Whilst I was meeting up with the candidate, I was aware that not only was I interviewing her for the position but that she would also be conducting her own assessment. It is not a one way process. If I had decided on the interview technique of making the candidate feel nervous, then not only would she have not continued with the interview process but the brand ‘Damian Rhodes’ would have been in ruins.

Manage expectations: If at any time during the selection process I had claimed to speak fluent Cantonese then she would soon be disappointed when the conversation moved away from, ‘you are beautiful’, ‘where is the MTR?’ and ‘turn left please’. It is very important that neither the recruiter nor the candidate exaggerates or over-sells in any way.

Regular contact: During this recruitment process we stayed in regular contact: this is about balance – too many calls or emails can be off  putting too.

Intuition: An important part of recruitment comes down to intuition – will I wish to spend a lot of my time with this person?  Synergies in terms of attitude, ethics and values cannot be gleaned from a CV alone.

Offer and acceptance: Before making the offer, I ensured that I had carried out my research, had sufficient meetings with the candidate, built up strong rapport and therefore was confident of the outcome.

All we need to do now is agree on the start date.

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