What will you be tested on when you meet your potential new employer at an interview? It can be a nerve-wracking time leading up to an interview for a job you are keen on securing and it can be hard to figure out the kind of things you will be asked at the interview stage.
Going through the typical recruitment process, most recruiters will make a first-stage selection decision based on your CV or Application Form information. They’ll form an objective judgement about potential job suitability based mainly on your:
- Work experience
- Past employer(s)
- Qualifications
- Achievements
It’s during this assessment, without having met you, that they’ll decide if you can probably do the job or not. They’ll be able to work out if you’ve got the right skills, experience, qualifications and evidence to show you fit the bill.
So, when you arrive for your interview, what else are your interviewers looking for?
- That what you’ve put in your CV/application form is true
- That you can do the job they’ve advertised, and lastly
- That they like you!
And it’s this last bit we think everyone needs to focus on more.
Ways to Ensure you are Liked
How on earth will you ever know how to be ‘liked’ at an interview? There aren’t any defined answers, but here are some pointers which we know will go a long way:
- Do your best to relax, and see the interview as a discussion rather than an interrogation. You’ll come across far better if you’re smiling and chatting, rather than looking like a rabbit staring into oncoming headlights, and they will also relax more.
- Let your personality emerge during the discussion – don’t hide who you are. Recruiters will remember you if you stand out for being yourself and letting your sense of humour show a little. We would advise sticking to clean humour, nothing too outrageous or shocking. Definitely avoid going full Frankie Boyle or Jimmy Carr.
- Make sure you make eye contact with everyone in the room regularly – they’ll all think you are talking to them personally, earning you lots of brownie points. Being able to talk directly to each of them goes a long way. Be sure to engage with the person who asks you questions directly and take in each person with your gaze while answering.
- Show that you are a good listener. In an interview, this is about ensuring you respond to the exact questions they’ve asked you. It is entirely legitimate to ask for clarification if you don’t understand something, nobody will think any the less of you, and it may even earn you points because you asked rather than stumbled on when you were unsure.
- And finally, let your recruiters know you care – about them and the Company. Ask questions which show you value their response and knowledge. We heard a great saying the other day which reinforces this “People don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care”
