Have you ever walked out of an interview, got home and then kicked yourself because you forgot to mention that really important thing? Or maybe you felt like you didn’t come across well, or you didn’t say the right things.
Chances are, that’s because you didn’t prepare enough! A wise man once said ‘by failing to prepare you are preparing to fail,’ and that’s one of the rules I live by. So to give yourself the best chance before you set foot anywhere near the interview, make sure you know your stuff and are really well prepared.
Here are 6 things you need to do if you want to be really ready for the interview.
Job Spec
Read over the job spec very carefully. Although they can be a bit wordy, they’re there for a reason. If it’s a half-decent spec, it will give you a clear understanding of what the job entails and what experience the employer is looking for.
Go through the description and try to dig out exactly what skills they’re after and match them to your own. Make note of them and see if you can demonstrate them in the interview. If you’re missing any, make a note of them as potential areas for training.
I’ll give you a hint – the most vital ones are normally listed near the top.
Company
Do some research into the company itself. Start with the website. Have a good browse and learn everything you can about them. I’d start with the ‘About Us’ page if they have one, as well as familiarising yourself with their products and processes.
Interviewers love it when candidates arrive knowing what they’re getting themselves in for. They don’t expect in-depth knowledge, but a little info shows employers that you’re keen and proactive. It can also set you apart from the crowd of candidates – you’d be surprised how many don’t bother looking up the company beforehand! And above all else, it helps you understand if this is the kind of company you want to work for.
As a bare minimum, try to find out:
- What their origin story is
- What markets they work in
- What products or services they provide
- Who are their competitors, and what sets them apart
- What makes them tick (check their mission/vision statement)
Interviewers
Finding out who is researching you and learning a bit about them is a great idea – but be very careful here. Social media stalking or excessive research is out of bounds, and you need to be careful about how you bring up anything you discover in the interview. You don’t want to creep them out!
The answer is LinkedIn. LinkedIn is a great tool that can use to look up who you’ll be meeting beforehand. You can find out if you went to the same university or school, or if you have any mutual connections. Remember that when you click on their profile, they will be able to see that you viewed their profile. Normally this will give you some extra brownie points for being proactive – but make sure your LinkedIn profile is up to scratch before you click.
Organisation
There’s nothing worse than getting a call from a flustered candidate who’s stuck on the M25 or sitting on a delayed train watching their interview time tick closer. It stresses you out, it stresses us out, and it doesn’t leave the best first impression with the employer. Make sure you know where you’re going, and that you’ve planned out your route. Give yourself a lot of time to get there with a big contingency for traffic, delays etc. If you get there early you can always wait in a coffee shop until it’s time. And if you’re really concerned, do a dummy run a few days before at the same time of day, so you know exactly what you’re dealing with.
On the day, try to arrive 5-10 minutes before the interview. Not only does this give you time to relax and gather your thoughts, but it shows the interviewer that you’re organised. Beware, there IS such a thing as being too early, which often goes down as well as being late. Meetings are scheduled by time for a reason, so if you’re too early, wait in your car or in a coffee shop until about 5-10 times before.
Look the Part
As a general rule, I always recommend you overdress, rather than underdress. You can always take off a jacket, undo a button or loosen a tie – but to be honest you can probably last an hour for this one! I also think that even the most casually dressed companies will appreciate that you’ve made the effort. How you choose to present yourself is important, and it can help make that all-important first impression to the interviewer. That means making an effort with your appearance, dress and body language.
It feels weird saying this, but for goodness sake please wear proper socks! Around 2018 ish it was trendy to wear ankle socks – turns out 90% of my clients hated them!
On top of that, think ahead about what you should have with you. A pen and pad of paper are essential – I’ve had people miss out on jobs for not making notes in an interview before. We don’t have photographic memories, and you might just pick up some tips.
It’s also worth turning your phone off or at least onto silent (not vibrate). If you don’t know how to do that, look it up before you go. If you’re taking a laptop or a memory stick with you, make sure it’s working, charged and good to go. And that the interviewer won’t see anything they shouldn’t!
Trump Cards
There are 4 more things you can do to prepare for an interview, but these are what I would consider ‘trump cards’. They should be used sparingly and very carefully – and only if you know they will go down well. They have the potential to really make them set you apart, but you need to do your research first and discuss it with a recruiter. See what you think.
Mystery shop: If the company has showrooms or retail outlets, it can be useful if you go and take a look around. This gives you a chance to see the product in the flesh, feel the quality, compare it to other brands and so on. You can also see the environment where you could potentially be working or bringing future clients. If anyone approaches you, just smile, thank them and say that you’re ‘looking around’. DON’T engage the staff in conversation about working there, or tell the staff that you’re interviewing. They might not know the company is hiring and you could really put your foot in it. You could even lose your shot at the job.
Product/service leaflets and brochures: I’ve had candidates order from the company they’re interviewing with purely to study the information, and then take them to the interview with them. This can earn you brownie points, shows that you have a genuine interest, and that you’ve gone above and beyond to prepare.
Confrontational feedback: Hear me out here. Ask your friends, family, and trusted colleagues about the business – their warts and all experiences. Digest it, and then feed it back to the interviewer. I once had a candidate going for a senior position within an interiors company who went into the interview and completely picked apart their marketing materials – straight to the MD’s face. It’s a risky move, but in her case the MD considered it a breath of fresh air and ultimately hired her. This move should be done carefully as it can go very, very wrong, so don’t try it lightly.
Marketing or branding jobs: If you’re interviewing for a marketing or branding position, then the little details really do matter. In this scenario the branding is often the brainchild of the hiring manager, and holds a special place in their heart. So why not try to subtly hint that you fit into their company branding? I recently put a candidate forward for a marketing manager’s position, and they went to the effort of matching their outfit to the company’s brand colours. The interviewer was amazed by their attention to detail, which ultimately secured them the role.
Not sure if you’re ready for the interview? Get in touch, and I’ll happily give you some pointers.