Preparing for an Interview

The employer will expect you to have a good grasp of who they are and what they do, so check out their website and social channels before your interview. This extra effort will help to demonstrate that you are interested in them as an employer and may provide talking points for your interview.

In addition to the job advert you applied to, there may be an additional job specification from the company which provides a more detailed insight into the role, the responsibilities and the roles / technologies the employer is looking for. Make sure you read this thoroughly in order to highlight key achievements / experiences in your interview.

Being late for an interview is a real no-no. Not only will it reflect badly on your time management skills but it can leave you stressed out and flustered for when you arrive! Map out your journey, plan for traffic / potential delays, check where you can park (if driving) and ensure you know where to head to and who to ask for when you get there.

In most instances the recruiter will be able to advise you on what you need to bring, but it's always good to be prepared and ensure you bring the following with you:

You will have been briefed on the correct dress code by your recruitment consultant, but if in doubt it is "always better to be over-dressed than under-dressed"! Put some extra effort in to help boost those first impressions.

It's always good to be armed with questions for the interviewer, not only to ensure that you find out the key details in the event of receiving an offer, but to demonstrate your interest in the company too. There are loads of questions you could ask - e.g:

There are a number of ways you can hold yourself to make a good impression in the interview including:

Being proactive is always a good sign for a candidate, so if you are working with a recruiter then always follow up with feedback as soon as you can after an interview to avoid any delays in the process. If you applied directly to the company then you will need to follow up yourself, so consider sending an email to thank your interviewer for their time if you have yet to hear about the next stage.