Job interviews can be stressful and anxiety-inducing, but you can ease those nerves by knowing some tips and techniques that help you shine in front of a hiring manager. Keep reading to improve your interview skills...

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Interviews are a two-way street 🚏

Interviews aren’t a test - they’re just as much about you as they are about the hiring manager. It’s your chance to learn about the organisation, its culture, and the people, and see if things like flexibility, mission, and purpose line up with what you’re looking for. So, don’t be afraid to ask questions and really engage in the conversation. This will help you make the best decision for your next career move.

Tailor your responses 🪡

Different interview questions call for different types of responses, so it's important to be ready for more than just questions about your experience and background. Interviews often use a mix of question types to assess if you're the right fit for the role.

For example, with behavioural questions, you'll need to show how you've handled challenges or problems in the past. On the other hand, situational questions ask you to imagine yourself in the role and explain how you'd deal with a potential situation.

To give the best answers, it's crucial to understand the type of question being asked. This takes practice, so don’t rush—take a moment to think before responding.

Ask for more time ⌛️

It's perfectly okay to ask the hiring manager for extra time to think if you’re stuck on a question. Many candidates rush to answer to avoid the uncomfortable feeling of not knowing or to fill the awkward silence. But rushing can hurt the quality of your response and may affect your confidence for the rest of the interview.

If you need a moment, just be honest and ask for it. This shows that you think things through logically and rationally, which is actually a sign of strength, not weakness.

By keeping these tips in mind, you'll not only ease your interview anxiety but also be better prepared to present your best self and increase your chances of landing the job.

Types of interviews 👨‍💼

With technology advancing, interviews have become more fluid and can be done in varying ways:

☎️ Phone interviews

This type of interview is usually for informal chats with candidates to find out a bit more about them and their motivations. On average, phone interviews last for around 20 minutes.

😀 Face-to-face interviews

The traditional method of interview to discuss your CV, skills and experience in more depth and can include behavioural and/or situational questions. Face-to-face interviews on average last about 45 minutes.

👩‍💻 Virtual interviews

This type of interview is conducted remotely via platforms like Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Google Meet amongst others and take the same form as our traditional face-to-face interviews. On average virtual interviews last for around 45 minutes.

👯 Group interviews

These interviews typically happen during recruitment days when a company invites several candidates to participate in activities designed to assess their fit for a specific role. These are often used for technical positions, like IT, to see how well candidates work in a team and contribute to group tasks. Along with the group activities, you’ll also have short one-on-one interviews so they can get to know you better. Remember, you'll be observed throughout the entire process, so it’s important to stay engaged and contribute consistently.

When interviewing, especially for higher-level roles, it’s important to know that there may be multiple stages. The first stage usually focuses on your skills and experiences, while later stages dive deeper into who you are, your motivations for the role, and more detailed questions. It’s a good idea to ask how many stages are involved in the process so you can be prepared for what’s ahead. Also, be ready for any tasks or assignments you might be asked to complete at any stage.

Remember these 5️⃣ things

• Be calm and be yourself!
• Be on time. In particularly with virtual interviews, it is recommended to log on 10-15 minutes early to check or resolve any connectivity issues.
• Ensure you do as much research as possible about the company, the people and pinpoint areas where you feel aligned to the organisation and have common ground to discuss in the interview.
• Use the STAR technique to help structure examples that you may want to use in the interview. We recommend thinking of 3-4 real life examples that you could pull different skills and strengths from.
• Have two or three questions prepared to interview them with to ensure they are the right role and organisation for you.

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