Job Interviews: What to expect and how to prepare

Once you have applied for a job the next stage is likely to be an interview with the employer. This is when you meet with one (or several) of their employees who will ask you some questions and possibly take part in some other tasks to help them determine whether to offer you a job. 

Job interviews can be pretty stressful and its only natural that you will feel nervous. However, with the right preparation, you should be able to hide any nerves and show the interviewer why they should hire you for the job. 

This post will cover the different types of job interviews, what preparation you should do beforehand, how to make a good first impression and what will happen afterwards. 

Types of interview 

Some employers may use a combination of interviews as part of their recruitment process and others may only use one. For example, some organisations may have an assessment centre and then select several applicants to invite to an individual interview. 

Individual interview

These are also referred to as one on one or face to face interviews. You will be invited to meet with the interviewer/s on your own. They will ask you some questions about you, your previous experience and qualifications and why you are the right person for the job.

Individual Interview Tips

• Listen carefully to the question and take a few moments to think about your answer
• Keep your answers focused and do not go off on a tangent
• Maintain eye contact with the interviewer. If there are several people interviewing you keep eye contact with everyone however focus on the person who asked the question you are currently answering

Assessment Centre

An assessment centre is similar to a group interview. These typically last for a couple of hours and are usually held either at the organisation’s headquarters or in a hired venue. After the introduction, you will be given some tasks to perform which may be individual or in groups. You may also be asked to prepare something in advance such as a short presentation or take something along with you.

Some of the activities may include: 

• Ice breaker activity 
• Group discussion 
• Presentation (either in groups or on your own)
• Roleplay 
• Written task 
• Psychometric tests 

Lunch or a refreshment break may be provided especially if the event lasts for several hours. Remember you are likely to still be assessed during the break, even if they tell you this is not part of the interview. 

Assessment Centre Tips

• Research the organisation to try to find out what happens at their assessment centres.
• Engage with the other candidates especially during breaks.
• Fully participate in all tasks and activities. Show some enthusiasm. 
• Do not take over any activities or discussion but do not take a back seat. 
• Listen to the other candidates when they are putting forward an idea. 
• Try not to compare yourself to other candidates. Remember everyone has a fair chance. Focus on letting the employer see your own skills and qualities. 
• Make sure you fully understand what each activity is asking you to do. 
• Be polite and friendly as soon as you arrive and right up until you leave. You will always be being assessed. 

Telephone Interview 

As the name suggests, this interview will be conducted by telephone. This may be scheduled or the interviewer may phone you by surprise. 

A phone interview will typically last between 10-20 minutes however in some cases it may be longer. Similarly to a face to face interview, the employer will ask you some questions about yourself and your experience.

Telephone Interview Tips 

• Make sure you take the call in a quiet area with no distractions. Tell anyone else nearby that you are expecting an important phone call so they know not to disturb you. 
• Ensure that the phone you are using is fully charged. 
• It is ok to have some basic notes in front of you but do not be tempted to prepare a script. It is easy to tell when someone is reading from a script. 
• Have a glass of water beside you. 
• You should make every effort to take the phone call. However, if the interviewer phones you by surprise and you genuinely can’t take the call you should politely explain this to the interviewer and ask if you can reschedule. The interviewer will understand this and really should expect this to happen considering they are contacting you without prearrangement. 

Group Interview

A group interview involves several candidates who will all be interviewed at the same time. It is likely that there will be more than one person from the organisation conducting the interview. 

There may be a short ice breaker activity to start things off and you may be asked to introduce yourself to everyone and say a little bit about yourself. Afterwards, there will be some group tasks such as problem-solving, design something, group discussion or some other group activity. You may also be asked some individual questions however you will need to answer to the whole group. 

Top Tips

• Before the interview begins, make an effort to engage with the other candidates. This will show the employer that you can easily network with other people. 
• Avoid criticising or interrupting the other candidates. This will make you look rude. 
• Do not take over the entire conversation but do not sit in silence either.
• Encourage candidates who are aren’t saying much to contribute to the discussion. 

Before the interview 

Research the organisation. Ideally, you should learn about the history of the company, their ethos and values and what it does. All of this information should be available on their website. 

Plan how you are going to get there. If you are travelling using public transport remember to consider possible delays. 

Arrive in plenty of time. Better to be early and have to wait than turn up late.

Dress appropriately. Decide what you will wear and make sure this is ready in plenty of time. You should wear smart business dress to the interview especially if it is for a job in a formal corporate environment. For some job interviews, it may be acceptable to wear smart casual. Research the company to find out about their workplace environment and dress code. If in doubt though, it is best to stick with smart clothes. 

You may be asked to prepare something in advance of the interview to take along I.e a short presentation or a poster. This could be on a specific topic such as about yourself or a product/service the employer offers to customers. If this is the case, they will let you know.

First impressions 

Greet the interviewer warmly and offer a handshake. The first time you meet them may be in the room where the interview is taking place however some may come to the reception or waiting area and take you to the interview room themselves. If this is the case you should engage with some appropriate small talk as the interviewer is probably looking to see if you can strike up a conversation with them. This is usually done to test your communication skills. 

Be polite and engage warmly with any staff you meet. Remember they may be asked for their opinion even if they are not taking part in the interview. 

If you meet any of the other candidates either as part of a group interview, assessment centre or even in the waiting area beforehand introduce yourself and strike up a conversation. Even if the interview has not started yet you may still be being observed by staff so this will show that you can interact well with other people. 

At the end of the interview 

Thank the interviewer/s for their time. This is good manners and demonstrates that you appreciated the opportunity to meet with them. 

Think about your performance. What questions were you asked and how did you answer them? Was there anything you said that you wish you hadn’t? Reflect on how you think you performed overall and consider making some notes to keep in mind for future interviews. 

Relax. Job interviews can be stressful and worrying so you should try to relax for a bit afterwards. 

Job offer/rejection 

The interviewer will let you know how you will be informed whether or not you have been successful. They may contact you by telephone, by email or in writing and usually within a week of the interview (some may take longer depending on the number of interviews taking place). 

Job offer 

Congratulations. You’ve done it. 

If you have been offered a job, the employer will let you know what will happen next. Before you officially start working, there will be some formalities such as signing your contract. You may also undergo some training and other induction activities. 

Rejection 

Unfortunately, there will be times when you will be unsuccessful in a job application. As disappointing as this, try to see it a learning experience. 

Some employers will contact you to inform you that you have been unsuccessful, others may simply advise that if you have not heard from them by a certain date then they will not be progressing with your application. 

You may wish to consider contacting the employer to ask for some feedback on your interview performance. It is best to do this using email as this will allow them to set a convenient time to contact you to discuss your application and prepare some feedback. Phoning them may catch them at an inconvenient time thus they may not be in a position to speak to you there and then.