Yesterday I was invited to what I
believe was one of the best interviews of my life. I have been to plenty so allow
me to share some insight on the minds of interviewers and how to properly
prepare and have fun while being interviewed. Some background on the company: It’s
a communications company that offers a wealth of services from PR, web development, media training, exhibitions,
and journalism to name a few of their services. They have an extraordinary list
of clients given their eight years in business. Basically if I get this job, I’ll
be one of those extremely happy people who just love going to work. I will be
most annoying, but guess what? I’ll inspire you to do something you love, are passionate about, and get paid for it.
So below are my top tips for
nailing an interview, these are based on my experiences:
Confidence boost. You have been
invited for an interview. Give yourself a pat on the back because it means your
cover letter and CV has impressed them so much they actually want to meet you
in person.
Appearance. You only have one
chance to impress your interviewers, so everything you do must be thought out
because you won’t get another opportunity. Dress up for the occasion. Neaten up
your whole appearance, i.e.; tie you hair, if you have an afro- comb it out, don’t wear too many accessories, get rid of anything
that might distract your interviewers (that could be anything from a noisy
bangle or hair that’s in your face), groom your nails, etc.
Be polite. From the minute you
enter their premises, put on a huge smile, and greet everyone you meet. If you
are offered anything while you wait, go for water, it’s the safest option
because you won’t have any dirty spills or accidents waiting to happen.
Show enthusiasm. Once you are in
the interview room, look excited to be there. Be a complete pleasure to
interview, do whatever it takes not to bore the crap out of them. Being nervous
is completely natural but don’t let it take over your interview. Remember they
are looking to see what you are really like in person and if you would fit in
their environment.
Keep calm and be authentic.
Obviously you won’t ace every question they throw at you. If a question is a
bit tricky, calm down, have a sip of water, and think back to your past
experiences. For example, if you are asked what you would do if faced with a difficult
client, reference a past experience and walk them through what you did to get
out of that sticky situation. You are not just there to show face, you are
there to be memorable so make sure you give them something they haven’t seen or
heard from other candidates. There’s no way you could have an exact experience
as the previous or next person.
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| Your interview is headed south if this happens. |
Be bold. Okay, this is very
important. In an interview situation you might feel a bit intimidated, it’s
normal. The trick is to not let it show. Maintain eye contact, smile, be
spontaneous, there’s nothing wrong with being prepared, but part of that is
preparing for the unknown. What makes yesterday’s interview so memorable is
that as much as they appreciated the fact that I came prepared and had thought
out answers, they really didn’t want that. They wanted to get to know the real
me, what makes me tick, my childhood memories and other light hearted stuff. It’s
good to completely prepare for facts and serious stuff, but also walk in with
some personality and light heartedness.
Unleash you inner sales representative.
Listen, if at any time in my life I feel I hate writing or media, I have a
bright future in sales! It is of utmost importance that you know how to sell
yourself and to establish a need for your product (in this case it’s yourself)
in their business. Have a clear list of your goals, why you would thrive in
their environment, believe in your own hype. There’s one thing I’ve learnt from
sales or marketing people: even if their product or service is crappy or just
too common, they will give you reasons as to why you still need it in your
life. Their passion and confidence is infectious and you need that to nail an interview.
Ask and follow up. The last part
of an interview is asking questions and knowing when to expect feedback. Don’t be
shy to send a follow up email if you still haven’t heard from them. If you don’t
get the job, write back and ask that they keep you in their system should
anything come up.
Maintaining good relationships. If
you don’t get the job, don’t go on a Twitter or Facebook rant, part of seeking
work is maintaining good relationships with potential employers. You might get
a call because someone recommended you for a job, so be careful not to burn any
bridges.
That’s it from me. Go out and nail
those interviews!
Love,
K
