Let’s Find You A Job

Staying Calm for the interview itself

So, you’ve landed the interview! Great news! Well done you, you’ve obviously presented yourself well to this point, whether that’s via your CV, a telephone interview, a registration meeting with a recruitment agency or all 3.

So, now it’s time to turn your thoughts to the interview, and what you can do to make the absolute best of it, and make the experience as stress free as possible.
These tips might help make things a little easier on the day:

• Rehearse – Talking the potential interview scenario over with someone can really help you, rehearse answers to common questions
• Your CV – Read and re-read your own CV, make sure you know it well, as this is usually what the discussion will be based around
• Sleep – Get a good nights sleep the night before, give yourself the best chance by having good energy levels
• Visualise – In a non-arrogant manner, imagine that you already have the job before you go into the interview, take a deep breath of pride and head into that interview
• Context – If you feel as though nerves are really getting the better of you, try to get the situation into context. Remind yourself that ultimately this is just a meeting, a conversation.
• Notes – Take a pad and pen with you, you might want to note down some information given at interview
• Be passionate, be positive – If you’re asked about something that you feel passionate about, it’s fine to let this show. It allows the interviewer to see more of your true personality. Only best to apply this when you’re talking about something positive, not something that really ticks you off though!

And remember – the interviewer is a person, just like you and me. They got up this morning, got ready and came into work, just like everyone else. They just need to meet you, and get to understand your work history and what type of person you are, so help them to understand all of that. Try to relax, and have an open, positive and friendly conversation.

Good luck!

What is the best type of job for me?

What is the best type of job for me?

So, you’re ready for your next career move, but you’re not sure what direction to go in, what role to look for next…

How can you work out what the best type of job for you is? For starters, it may help to get jotting some ideas down. Maybe have a go at brain storming?!

So, think about your own personal skill set, not just the skills you’ve gained in the workplace, but those you have gained in your own time...

What are your best skills?

What are you good at?

Would you like to use skills gained through qualification?

Which of those skills would you like to use more, and which would you like to move away from?

Then think about what interests you…

What interests you about any of the roles you’ve held so far?

What do you love to do?

Can you find a role that will allow you to work with your interests?

What sort of jobs include work involving those interests?

Next, what about the type of company you would like to work with…

What would a good company to work for look like to you?

Would you like to work within a large organisation, perhaps a large corporate, or a smaller business?

What would working for a small business mean to you?

Think of the pros and cons to working for each of these, and what they would mean to you.

Then think about the role itself…

What would you like your role to accomplish? What is the ideal outcome/result of your work?

Do you want to help a company to grow, by winning more customers? If so, could a role in sales be good for you?

Do you want to see yourself as a leader who is able to train others in your area of expertise? If so, is a role in management or team-leading your next step?

Then you have to think about the practicalities of it all, what salary do you need? What location can you get to?

Some people find that they want to help develop others, others want to provide a front of house service, greeting visitors, and some people want to make key decisions on how to drive a business forward. Wherever you are within all of this, as long as you take the time to consider what is important to you, and to find the role and company that is the right match for you, you shouldn’t go far wrong.

Top Ten Job Interview Tips

Find out about the company before you go

Information is so easily accessible these days that there’s really no excuse for not doing a little research into the company you’re being interviewed by before you go in. Google them, spend some time on their website, read any blogs or press releases you might find, just have a little look around and get a feel for their business

What’s the job?

Make sure that you have a clear understanding of what the role involves, try to get hold of a copy of a job description if possible. If one is not available, read over the job advertisement to absorb any detail you can, and if possible, have a chat with the person who has arranged the interview for you about the role and the duties/responsibilities involved. Get it clear in your mind, so you’re not caught out when discussing it.

Don’t be late!

Being late for a job interview sets the wrong impression immediately, meaning that you start at a disadvantage when it comes to making a good ‘first impression’ as the interview gets underway. Find out where it is, how you will get there, how long it will take you, and allow plenty of time to get there.  Respect the fact that the interviewers may be working to a tight schedule on the day of your interview, so your lateness might cause issues throughout the day for them.

What are you wearing?

Plan in advance what to wear. Make sure that you are presentable, in your best interview clothes. Make sure that they are clean, neat and tidy, and appropriate for the job you’re being interviewed for.

Pay attention!

Although you might be a little nervous, and be trying to think of ways to come across in the best way possible, don’t let these thoughts allow your mind to wander during the interview. Try to remain focused on the person speaking to you, on what they’re saying and asking you.

Answer the actual question

So you’re listening intently, and you understand the question being asked. Make sure that you answer that actual question and don’t go off on a tangent, over explaining perhaps irrelevant things. Adding a little extra detail here and there is no problem, but giving details which don’t answer the question is a big no no.

Why should they pick you?

At some point during the interview, the interviewer might ask you why they should pick you. Be prepared with a great answer. Think about what they might want to hear, think about your genuine answer, think about why you would be an ideal fit for the role, put it all together and create a great answer before you go to interview.

Show how interested you are

If an interviewer has seen a number of people for a job as well as you, and has shortlisted 2 or 3 people including yourself, often one thing that can make a world of difference is you explaining how interested in the role you are. Don’t take up 10 minutes telling them how much you really want the job, just simply express how you feel about the role, about the prospect of getting the job and why you would like the job so much. Enthusiasm for a role expressed correctly might just get you over the finish line!

Relax

Take deep breaths before you enter the interview room, and try to tell yourself that these people talking to you are normal, everyday nice people. They are not trying to catch you out, they are simply trying to find out a little about you, so relax, let the conversation flow and ………

Be yourself!

A good interviewer can see past your nerves, and will be looking to try to see the real you, so try to let that show.