02 May 2023
Have you ever planned for an interview by putting yourself in your interviewer's shoes and wondering what they'll be looking for from you at your interview? No? Well, now's your opportunity to increase your chances of success at your next job interview! Read on to find out what your interviewer will be trying to find out when they talk to you:
Are you enthusiastic about the job?
Whilst skills and experience are massively important, you need to make sure you look very interested in the job. Enthusiasm can come across in many different ways in your interview, such as:
How positively do you talk to your interviewers about yourself and your skills and experience? Your willingness to open up and engage with them will help them to see how enthused you are. They want to see that you have confidence in yourself and your abilities.
How positively do you react when your interviewers tell you about the job and the Company? The interviewers need to feel that this isn’t just a way to pay your bills, and if you sit there without really engaging with what they are saying, they just won't hire you.
How positively do you talk about your previous roles and past employers? This will give the impression you are a loyal and committed employee. Even if a previous job didn’t end well and you hated the manager, it isn’t in your interest to say this to people in a job interview. They will think you will one day say similar things about them, so they won’t hire you. They will view it as not being worth the potential reputational damage.
Your facial expressions during the interview, especially your ability to smile, can make a difference in how interviewers perceive you. That isn’t to say that you need to smile all of the time, but a smile used at appropriate moments can help the interview to go easier and will help you to leave a good impression.
Do you have the right personality type for the job?
Interviewers will want to make sure you fit in. On that basis, just be yourself. This way, your potential employers can work out if your personality is a good fit for the work you’ll be doing and the team you’ll be working in!
If you try to be somebody that you’re not in the interview, you may get the job and end up hating it due to personality clashes with the team you are working with. Just relax, be yourself, and let your own personality shine through in the interview.
Do you have the right skills for the job?
The answers to this can come from so many different types of questions, but remember the following, and you can’t go far wrong (especially given that you’ve already been granted an interview):
You might not have all the right skills, but you will find the best way to show your suitability. Turn up to the interview with examples fresh in your mind of work you’ve done in the past which showcases your relevant skills.
If you don’t have relevant examples to talk about, think bout times when you have demonstrated a similar skill or aptitude. You should think about how you will be able to demonstrate in the interview what your ability to learn is like. This is an excellent way to let them know that you may not quite be the finished article yet, but if you are given a chance, you can grow with their company. Try to come up with examples of how quickly you’ve learned a job, task or skill in the past and relate this to the current position.
How successful were you in previous jobs?
Your interviewers will be keen to know your achievements in previous roles. On that basis, you need to turn up armed with examples of some of the following:
The tasks you have completed in the past which made you the proudest. These don’t have to be the most complicated projects, they can be something simple that you did well or were heavily personally invested in due to the subject matter.
Some of the more challenging work you have completed or problems you have encountered and overcome at work, explain what you did to circumvent the difficulties.
How have you developed your career by building on successes in previous roles that you have had? This is an opportunity to talk about your career progression from earlier roles to the one you currently hold and the one you are applying for. You can mention the skills you have developed over this time and the knowledge you have accumulated that will make you a stand-out candidate for this job.
The individual contributions you have made to team and/or Company success in previous jobs. This is an important one as it allows the potential employer to measure the level of success they should expect if they employ you.
At a job interview, you will also want to be able to demonstrate your communication and interpersonal skills. Employers will be keen to know how well you can communicate with colleagues, clients and other stakeholders. You need to give examples of how you have used effective communication in the past and your ability to build relationships with others in the workplace. This can include both verbal and non-verbal communication, such as facial expressions, body language etc.
Employers will look for a strong sense of motivation in their desired candidate. You should have clear examples to demonstrate your motivation for the job you are applying for and how it fits with your career goals. Showing your interest in the company, team or industry and your enthusiasm to be part of it will help your application stand out.
Preparing for your next interview based on the above will really help you focus on what’s important. Remember, preparation for any interview is vital to ensuring you stand the best chance of getting the job!
