Your Guide to Job Interview Success
The first rule of job interview preparation? There’s no such thing as too much job interview preparation…
Interviews can be nerve-racking, especially if it’s for a job you really want. The only way to calm your nerves is to do a lot of interview preparation beforehand. Read our guide to preparing for interview success.
Do your research and know your audience
Learn as much as you can about the company and interviewers. Use their company website, LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter to do your research.
Find out more about the IT job role you’ve applied for, speak to your IT recruitment consultant. If you know someone that is working or has worked at the company, pick their brains.
Plan your route
Make sure you know how to get to the interview address -do not leave this to the last minute. Arriving late for an interview will not land you that job.
Practice your interview answers
Write down questions you think you would be asked and craft your responses. Yes, you might get asked some unconventional or unexpected questions at your interview, but prepare for those you know will be asked.
Questions that almost always come up during interviews:
- Studies show that twenty percent of employees do eighty percent of the work. What makes you part of the twenty percent?
- What have the high and low points of your career?
- What will you bring to the company?
- Tell us more about yourself…
- Why do you want to leave your current position/company?
- Tell me about a challenge or conflict you’ve faced at work, and how you dealt with it.
- Give me an example of a time that you felt you went above and beyond the call of duty at work.
- What are your strengths and weaknesses?
- What are your career goals?
- What are your long and short-term career goals?
- Where do you see yourself in 5 or 10 years?
- Click here to view 100 possible interview questions.
Prepare your own questions
Treat the interview as a two-way conversation. Interviewers want to see that you did your homework and that you are interested in the company and the role.
A survey of recruiters showed that 9 out of 10 agreed that candidates should come prepared with questions.
Questions you might want to ask during your interview:
- Can you tell me more about the company?
- What are the company’s future plans?
- Is this a new or existing role?
- How many people in the team?
- What would my day-to-day responsibilities be?
Still need inspiration on questions to ask during your job interview? Read these articles:
Body Language
Your non-verbal communication is just as important as your verbal communication during your IT job interview. Job interviewers are able to learn more about your personality based on your posture, handshake, eye contact, gestures and movements.
- Sit back in your seat, firmly against the back – this is an automatic signal of confidence. However leaning in during the interview demonstrates interest (shoulders back and down, chest high).
- Don’t stare. A more effective way to ensure you look interested and engaged is to rotate your glance from eyes, to nose, to lips.
- Use hand gestures while speaking. Keeping your hands hidden can be misinterpreted as distrustful behaviour. Show your palms, it signals honesty and engagement.
- Walk confidently. Pull your shoulders back. How you walk into the room is part of how you are judged during your interview.
- Nod your head while listening – it shows attentiveness.
The extras
- Print enough CVs for your interviewers and yourself.
- Prepare a reference list, whether you think you’ll be asked for it or not. For each reference, include a name, title, company name, division or department, telephone number, and email address, as well as a sentence briefly explaining the relationship.
Lastly, congratulations on getting the interview and good luck!