The five-minute impression

During the interview you need to look for opportunities to be proactive and ask questions or try to lead the discussion where appropriate. Questions should reflect your keenness to work for the company, but restrict yourself to a couple of significant questions, for example:

• What are the key tasks and responsibilities of the role?
• What support and guidance is available?
• What training will be available?

Keep your conversation levels up during the interview and make sure you listen to the responses the interviewer gives you. Errors happen when candidates ask questions about topics that have already been covered, or don’t hear or understand what the interviewer has said.

Make sure you give the interviewer your full attention

Wait for them to finish speaking, before you answer the question. Make sure you ask open questions, to ensure you get full answers. Check your understanding of everything that has been said. At the end of the interview find out what will happen next:

• When will you hear from them?
• How will you be informed?
• Do they need any more information?

First impressions

Remember most people make an initial impression of a stranger within five minutes of meeting them. Research shows that first impressions are made up as follows:

• Body language and image – 70 per cent.
• Tone of voice – 20 per cent.
• What you say – 10 per cent. But don’t think you can get away with talking a load of rubbish.

Be polite to everyone you meet. Be calm and confident, give a firm handshake and always make eye contact. Try to put everyone at ease by being down-to-earth while remaining business-like.

Your aim is to convince the interviewer that:

• You would be able to do the job.
• You can bring benefits to the company.
• You are the best candidate on both counts.

Do a mini self-assessment on yourself, for example, your work experience so far, your transferable skills, the qualifications you have gained and where you want your career to go.

Consider your strengths and weaknesses and ask yourself in which areas you could improve, what are the tasks and situations that you have had the most problems with and in what instances did your colleagues react negatively towards you?

Business-like manner

During the interview always adopt a professional and business-like manner, listen intently and ask relevant questions. Use strong positive language, be persuasive and speak in terms of what benefits you can bring to the company. Avoid negative phrases like, ‘I don’t know’, or ‘I’m not sure’. Always remain calm, and don’t rush your answers.

Be prepared

Be prepared for the type of questions you will get asked for example. What are your strengths and weaknesses? Think about how your weaknesses can be turned into strengths. If your friends were to describe your personality, what would they say about you? What are your ambitions? Avoid the old cliché, ‘I want your job’.

Why are you interested in working for our company? This is your chance to show your knowledge of the company. Talk about its strengths and how this suits your ambitions and qualifications. Give an example of when you have had to be with a difficult situation? What would you consider to be your greatest career achievement?

Many of us are in the unforeseen and in unenviable position of being back on the job-seeking treadmill. Some may have had interviews recently, others not for a long time.

Think hard about the role you are going for and your skills or transferable skills that appertain to it.

I hope this has given a brief overview of getting that interview right, getting the job and being the best.

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