Preparing for your job Interview

The job interview is a chance to show the employer that you will be an asset to their company. While
there are many things that you can do wrong in an interview, if you follow this list of simple advice then
you will increase your chances of landing the position.
Practice Makes Perfect

• The best way to be prepared for the big interview is to practice relentlessly up to the moment of
the meeting. There are many ways in which you can practice.

• The first is to practice your answers with yourself. Do not memorise speeches for specific
questions. You may find that the interviewer will phrase a question differently from how you have
prepared and this might throw you off balance. The best way is to memorise bullet points and to
work from there when in the interview.

• The second is to ask a friend who works in the industry to do a mock interview with you. They will
be able to ask industry specific questions and provide feedback on what areas are the most
important to focus on.

• The third way is to prepare with a professional recruiter. PRC has a dedicated team on hand to get
a candidate fully prepped for their interview. Our experience in recruiting will help you be
confident as you enter the interview.

Research, Research, Research
• Research is paramount to a successful interview. Fully understanding the position which you are
applying for is important. This might seem obvious but not being fully aware of what the position
entails is a reoccurring theme which interviewers are frequently faced with. If you are in doubt
with what tasks will be expected from you in the position, you can phone the HR department
ahead of the interview to get more details.

Arrive on time
• Again, being on time might seem obvious but it is crucial for a successful interview. Research the
location area of the business. If you are unsure where the building is, there is no harm going to
look for it the day before the interview so you know exactly where it is located. Remember, buses
and trains can be unreliable, make sure you allow extra travel time for traffic and any other
unforeseen problems.

• You can also be too early for an interview. Being at the designated area 45 minutes early does not
show initiative, it can irk the interviewer who might be in the middle of another interview or have
a full work schedule. The ideal time to arrive for an interview is 10-15 minutes before the stated
interview time.

Answer the Question
• When answering questions asked by the interviewer, make sure you answer the question given to
you. If you are asked about a time where you used team work to solve a problem, make sure you
do not go off on a tangent about stories regarding your former colleagues’ personalities. This is
also a time to show you have researched the company extensively. Any employer will want to be
reassured that you know the ins and outs of their business. This includes the history of the
company and the plans that they have made public for the future of their growth.

Look the part
• Dressing appropriately is crucial for making a first and lasting impression. Always dress in formal
business attire. Even if the company you are applying for dress business-casual in their daily
operations, dressing in formal business attire shows that you are taking the job seriously. If you
are in doubt, phone the reception or the HR department of the company to get an indication on
how to address for the day.

Stay calm
• Unless you are in the 1 – 4% of the world’s population which fall into the category of people with
sociopathic tendencies, you will be understandably nervous going into the interview. Any
experienced interviewer will be aware of this and will understand. However, if your anxiety limits
your ability to answer questions fully and to converse in a healthy way, you will need to address
this issue before going into the interview. There are many techniques to be found on the internet
in dealing with anxiety during an interview. It would be wise to research the various techniques if
you think anxiety will hinder your performance on the day of the interview.

Ask questions
• Interviews are not one-way traffic. An experienced interviewer will allow time towards the end of
the interview to let you ask them questions.