So you’ve secured an interview for your dream job. Congratulations! How are you going to prepare for this interview? No matter how experienced you are at interviewing or how confident you are in securing the role, an interview is somewhat like an exam: the more study you do, the more confident you will be. Below are some of my top tips to ace your next interview.

Step 1: Know your audience

Do your research! Who are you meeting with? How long have they been with the employer and what is their role? What is the history of the employing organisation and what are their core values? It is important you know with whom you are meeting and what the organisation does!

Step 2: Know your CV

It is extremely important that you know your CV back to front. When talking through your previous experience with a potential employer, be extremely detailed and really paint a verbal picture of your resume with them

Step 3: Behavioural based questions

When asked these types of questions, always use the SAO technique: Situation Action Outcome. Use specific examples. What was the situation? What was the action you took to solve the problem? What was the outcome of your action? Make sure the outcome is always positive.

Step 4: Have questions for the interviewer

It is important to have one or two questions lined up to ask your interviewer. It shows a high level of interest in the role. Avoid asking around salary or hours of work.

Step 5: Where are you going?

Always have a look at where your interview is located and how long it will take you to get there. Give yourself plenty of time to arrive at your interview location.

Step 6: What are you going to wear?

Attire is extremely important to make a good first impression in an interview. For men, fully suited and booted, matching jacket and trousers, tie and polished shoes. For women, Blazer, corporate skirt or trousers, closed toed heels. For both men and women, if relevant, hair should be tied back.

For more interview tips or to see what current opportunities are in the market, please contact us here at people2people.