Interviewing - Back to Basics

When preparing for an interview, there are countless websites that will give you a decent run down on the “do’s and don’ts” of interviewing. It can be a bit overwhelming and when the advice you read is conflicting, it’s hard to know who to believe. As a general rule, we recruiters will look for a few key things, no matter what the role or industry you are seeking.

• Know the business you are applying for. If you walk into an interview and cannot give your panel a thorough rundown on who the business is and what they do, it’s not a good start. This is quite often used as an opening question. Now, if you are applying to work for Coca Cola Amatil, it might be a bit easier, but if you have applied for a job at a smaller business, go to the effort of looking them up. Checking their website and LinkedIn page is a good start.

• Never talk down your previous employer. If you are moving businesses, but staying in the same industry, and your previous employer was an absolute nightmare, perhaps your interviewer already knows who they are or about their affiliated bad reputation. Reasons behind leaving a job can be a common question in an interview. There is no need for name shaming or excessive examples of why it was such a horrible place to work, just keep your response simple and be honest about why the role was not for you.

• Know your CV inside and out! Your interviewer will most likely prepare for meeting with you by highlighting critical information in your CV that they want to cover off. If asked to expand on a certain line mentioned in your responsibilities or achievements, you should be able to identify what it is immediately and provide more detail or similar examples to back up what is already written.

I could go on for pages with advice on how to interview well, things to say, things to definitely not say. However, the fact is in most cases the advice will differ depending on what the role is, the level you are interviewing for, the industry and the culture of the business. So many things make an impact, so there really is not a list of 20 golden rules. These three however, I believe will be applicable to anyone; from someone going to their first interview ever or their last before retirement.