Abbie Coleman is a seasoned expert with a diverse background spanning over 25 years in recruitment. With 15 years of owning her recruitment firm in the heart of Leeds, she brings a wealth of experience in talent acquisition and management.
Additionally, Abbie has dedicated ten years to advocating for working mums’ rights in the workplace, championing initiatives to close the motherhood penalty and promote flexible work arrangements and returner programs. I also ran several female-led solid peer learning networks across the North with local businesses and business professionals.
Four things to do before a job interview
Job interviews are difficult at the best of times, but they can be made even harder by a lack of proper preparation. The more effort you put into getting yourself ready, the more comfortable you’ll feel on the day, giving you the best possible chance to make a good first impression on your prospective future employer. In this guide, we highlight some of the most important things to include in your prep checklist to set you up for success.
Table of Contents
Research the company
We’re probably not the first people to highlight to you the importance of researching the company – and we’ll certainly not be the last – but it’s important not to overlook this crucial aspect of your preparations. Companies want to know that you’re going to buy into their long-term project and feel committed to helping the company succeed beyond your standard responsibilities.
Lots of interviewees find it difficult to know exactly what they need to research. Start by focusing on your specific role and what it entails, going over the job description as well as checking Glassdoor reviews from people who have been in similar positions. On a broader scale, it’s important to understand the company’s values, past achievements, and the wider culture. All of this information will generally be found on their website and social media channels.
Double-check the information you’ve been sent
When receiving an invite to an interview, companies will provide all the necessary information about what they expect/need from you on the day. More often than not, this will include generic information about where to find them and the format of the interview, as well as any practical considerations.
However, some companies might ask you to prepare a presentation or complete a worksheet ahead of time. Make sure you’ve carefully read these instructions so there aren’t any surprises on the day and you don’t make a bad first impression having missed out on an important detail.
Prepare some stock answers
Unless the interviewer provides you with a complete list of questions, you’re never going to know exactly what they’ll be asking you on the day. However, some questions repeatedly crop up in interviews in all different industries; these are largely based on competency, and both the question and answer can be tweaked depending on the nature of the role.
With this in mind, it’s always a good idea to have specific scenarios or past experiences in mind that you can call upon to answer some of these questions. Thinking about these questions using the STAR (situation, task, action result) framework can help you organise your thoughts and equip you to field a range of questions.
Make the day as easy as possible
When you’re so focused on how you’re going to come across in the interview, it’s easy to forget about all the steps leading up to that moment. However, taking as much pressure off as possible on the day will help you to feel relaxed and bring the best version of yourself to the interview room.
Things like organising what you’re going to wear the night before, understanding where you need to go (or double-checking your equipment if it’s a virtual interview), getting a good night’s sleep and making sure you’ve eaten will all help you to relax on the day.
Every interview is different, but sticking to your regular routine as much as possible will set you up for success. We hope these career advice tips help you to success.