3 Tips for Job Interviews

Plenty of websites, books and seminars espouse a number of things you have to follow when about to head for a job interview. These steps are probably almost always “correct”, but when it comes right down to it, how many of these things do we actually follow? When anxiety takes over, those ten or so things that we’re advised to do for job interviews complicate the preparation process, making us even more nervous than before. Career Minded shares its thoughts on what we think are three most important things you need to do. 

1. Make your CV stand out

These days when employers are surfing through heaps of email resumes (most of which probably in the standard MS Word format), the ones that stand out often make the best impression. Whether it’s the one person who sent out his resume on a PDF file, or the one with the extremely glamorous studio photo – the simplest thing can set you apart. Sure, resume templates are all kinds of wonderful – but pause to wonder just how many others have used the same template. Templates are good benchmarks for what you should include in your resume but not how you want to present yourself. How you format your resume can help convey things about yourself right off the bat and earn you brownie points. But remember, while you’re being creative, class and sleekness should be the underlying tone. It’s still a job search after all and the employment process begins the moment you send out your resume. 

2. Do your research

There’s nothing worse than turning up at a job interview not knowing about the company (or the industry if you’re aiming for a more senior position). Visit the company’s website and talk to anyone you might know who works there. Several questions that you could pose to yourself even before the interview could be: what kind of products or services does the company offer, what type of people work there, what are the typical hours this position requires and what are some of the tasks that the job involves? With adequate research, you could pleasantly surprise the interviewer questions that other candidates might not have thought to ask at all.

3. Practice

Okay, so you’ve been shortlisted for the interview, and you’ve done your research. You’re at the end of the road, and this is the final stretch that really counts, the actual job interview. Plenty of people often make it to this point but fall short, and not because of incompetence. Anxiety is often almost always the number one cause for this. Having a stellar resume amounts to nothing if you cannot market yourself efficiently during an interview. 

Practice really does make a difference. Whether you’re doing it alone or with someone, practicing out loud for your interview repeatedly will help you sound more polished and less nervous. Go through the things you want the employer to know about you and practice answering every common interview question possible! With enough practice, you will safeguard yourself from stammering and rambling during the interview and build up your confidence at the same time. 

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