Interview Tips

Talking the talk

Everything PA | Interview Tips

You've followed our top 5 CV tips and you've secured an interview, but how do you make sure you get the job? Follow our list of dos and don'ts and give your natural talents a helping hand!

Do...

1) Prepare! Prepare! Prepare!
Sounds simple, but if you haven't done your homework on the questions you may be asked and the company you're hoping to work for, your lack of preparation will soon tell.

2) Get there on time
Quite apart from sending out a very negative message, if you're late to your interview you will be flustered and perform badly. Leave plenty of time to get to your interview. Make the journey beforehand if necessary. If you're very early, wait in a café and gather your thoughts. If you are running late, phone ahead.

3) Make an impression
'You never get a second chance to make a first impression', OK, so it's an overused phrase, but not without good reason. People make their minds up about people within the first few seconds of meeting. So make sure you:

4) Practice your answers
Preparing for a range of commonly asked (and difficult to answer) interview questions will help you avoid stumbling on the day. For an idea of the kind of questions that regularly come up, use our interview simulator.

5) Keep your answers brief
A good interview is like a good conversation, a mixture of talking and listening. Try not to talk for too long when answering a question, and if you think you may be talking too much remember to ask the interviewer questions, this will also make you seem more enthusiastic.

6) Be enthusiastic
Enthusiasm is infectious; people respond really positively to it. Make sure to appear keen and focus on positive achievements and views.

7) Bring up a weakness
Bring up a weakness of yours before you're asked for one. The interviewer won't want to linger on the negative so you can control which weakness you choose to share. It also demonstrates you are self-aware and understand your own limitations.

8) Ask your own questions
Asking questions in an interview not only shows you are enthusiastic, it can help you answer the interviewer's questions. “What are you hoping to find in the person you hire?” – the sooner you ask questions like this the sooner you can begin to tailor your answers to what you know the employer is looking for.

9) Talk about specific achievements
Interviewers like to talk about specific achievements. Make sure you prepare examples of things you have done that you are particularly proud of; how you solved a problem, how you learned and applied a new skill.

10) Follow the interviewer
Your interviewer will give you all the cues you need to perform well in the interview. If they are formal and businesslike you should do the same. Likewise, if they adopt a more laid back approach you can too.

Don't...

1) Under prepare
If you don't do your research, either about the company or the kinds of questions you can expect, you will quickly fall down.

2) ...be late (or too early)
Turning up late is obviously a no-no. But turning up to an interview early also gives the wrong impression – that you have too much time on your hands. As a rule arrive early, but never by more than 10 minutes.

3) ...treat the receptionist badly
Be as polite to the receptionist as you are to the interviewer. Many interviewers will ask receptionists their initial impression of a candidate – they're used to dealing with people and are usually good judges of character!

4) ...give a poor handshake
Bit of a tightrope this one. Too weak can indicate disinterest or shyness. Too hard indicates aggressive salesperson. No handshake at all indicates unwillingness to engage...or just plain rudeness!

5) ...talk too much
Lack of preparation and nerves often contribute to a candidate talking too much. To make sure you don't talk too much, keep your answers succinct and remember to ask the interviewer questions.

6) ...make derogatory remarks about past employers
No matter how bad they were, don't be tempted to be negative about him or her. The interviewer may draw the conclusion that you have a problem with authority and will probably be concerned about how you might talk about them in the future if they employ you.

7) ...ask about benefits, or holidays too early
Wait until the conversation moves naturally towards the benefit package. And then have a frank conversation. There's nothing wrong with expecting a fair reward for your work, but if you bring up salary and holiday too early it gives the impression that you're only out for what you can get.

8) ...make too much or too little eye contact
Making eye contact shows you are confident and believe your answers to be truthful BUT too much or too intense eye contact can be interpreted as aggressive. Not enough eye contact makes you appear shifty and disinterested.

9) ...be economic with the truth
However tempting it can be, don't make stuff up. If you don't know the answer to a question tell the interviewer as much and add that you'd be happy to get back to them with an answer after you've checked your facts.

10) ) ...ignore the interviewer's lead
Making sure the impression you make at interview is the right one is crucial if you're to secure the job. The easiest way to do this is to follow the interviewer's lead. If they seem all business, make sure you act formally. If they're more relaxed, you can be too.