5 top tips for interview success

Guest Blogger, Jack Lloyd, content writer at CV Library offers his top 5 tips for a successful interview

Congratulations! You’ve only gone and got yourself an interview. It’s an important part of landing a new job so if you’re feeling stressed don’t panic. Reading our five top tips will help you breathe easy and lead to interview success.

Planning

Planning prior to your interview is one sure-fire way to success. From the moment you receive your invitation, you should write down any important details about the interview.

Ask yourself, where do I need to be and at what time? Use the information provided to map out your journey and always have an alternative route in case of any transport or weather issues on the day of the interview.

Planning ensures that you arrive on time and at the right location. Being on time is crucial – you don’t want to be late and upset your employer before the interview even begins. You need to exhibit your professional attitude towards work. This will consequently reflect great on you and help shape your interview in a positive way.

Research and preparation

Research and preparation is vital to interview success. By researching the company, you gain a better understanding of their culture and future aspirations. This will then help build an informed opinion. It also enables you to talk about this during the interview, proving that you’re passionate about the industry.

Make sure that you also have some questions to ask your interviewer. This can save you from looking flustered if you can’t think of anything on the spot. Alongside this, double check if the employer has asked you to prepare anything beforehand.

It might be that they want you to bring in examples of your work, so make sure you’re able to retrieve them easily and present them in an orderly fashion. This will look good to the interviewer as it demonstrates your organisational skills.

Also, check if they require a form of identification like a passport or a driving licence. Finally, the interviewer may have not have enough copies of your CV so it’s always useful to bring some with you. This will again exhibit your organisational skills and shows initiative.

Practice

You’ve already caught their attention with your cover letter and CV, now you just need to seal the deal. Take advantage of the tools provided and review them along with the job description. This will help you figure out what the company is looking for in an employee. You will need to think of any relevant experience and supply evidence to support it.

Hone in on your strengths and weaknesses. Focus on your unique selling points so you can successfully exhibit why you are the best candidate for the job. When addressing your weaknesses, it’s best to have a strategy in mind. For example, struggling to keep up with your workload could be a weakness, but following it up with a plan to assess your tasks is constructive and shows willingness to improve.

Why not practice this with a friend or family member. Practising your responses will not only make you feel more prepared, but also confident for the interview.

Dress for success

Think about it. It’s highly unlikely the interviewer is going to take you seriously if you turn up in shorts and a hoodie. If the interviewer hasn’t specified what to wear, then check what the appropriate attire is, or if in doubt, go smarter than usual.

Make sure that your outfit is washed, ironed and absent of anything distracting. Follow this with shoes that are clean and presentable and match your outfit. Dressing professionally and appropriately will show the recruiter you are taking the job role seriously.

Try to keep calm

Nerves can sometimes get the better of us, so if you’re starting to feel panicked, just take a breath. This helps you to think clearly. Remember, you’ve been invited to the interview because the company is considering you as a potential employee. This can be reassuring and may prevent you from doubting your abilities.

There are many aspects to get right in the run-up to an interview, but planning ahead can help you achieve this. Remember to take the necessary steps we’ve provided as this will help you thrive throughout your interview and pave the way to a successful career.

CV-Library is the UK’s leading independent job board. For more expert advice on careers and the workplace, visit their Career Advice and Recruitment Insight pages.