1. Do your research
Research the company, what they do, who their competitors are, size of company etc
2. Use the STAR technique in your answers
What’s the STAR technique I hear you ask?
S – Situation (Set the scene, what was the situation)
T – Task (Describe the task that needed to be accomplished)
A – Action (Clearly explain the steps you took)
R – Result (What was the outcome)
This gives you a set way for answering questions like:
“Tell me about a time you….”
“Give an example of…”
“Have you ever….”
It will allow you to have a structure in your answer and hopefully stop you “blabbering on”
3. Know your selling points!!
What sets you apart from other candidates?
What can you bring to the company?
Have in your head your top 5 skills or “selling points” that a company would like
4. Anticipate the interviewers concerns or reservations about employing you
Try to think of reasons why they may be unsure, you haven’t got this bit of experience, or you haven’t done that before.
Then think of an answer why that shouldn’t matter and the reason they should employ you anyway!
5. Prepare for the common questions
These could be different for different positions. But have examples in your head.
So for example, a customer service role questions could be
· Give an example of when you’ve gone above and beyond for a customer?
· When have you had to deal with a difficult situation and how did it go?
And remember – use the STAR method.
