How not to suck at interviews
Amanda Ashworth
![Amanda Ashworth]()
Amanda Ashworth
Empowering Mums to Embrace Change & Transformation, Life Coach and Podcast Host of Finding You Now
Recently I have met with a lot of young people aged between 17-26 and what has really struck me is that most have had little or no interview training from either school or university. Both
schools and universities should be doing more to prepare and equip all young people leaving the education system for what lies ahead. A lack of interview skills means that they are very nervous and full of dread. Consequently they come across as having little or no confidence. 99% of these young people are ambitious and know what they want to say and do but just lack the confidence and know-how to make it happen.
The first thing I would say to them is no one enjoys interviews but sadly they are normally required in order to get the job and secondly the only way you are going to get better at them is by practice. Equally I would add that not all hiring managers are good at interviews so it may be that they are not the only one that find interviews painful. Over the years I have conducted thousands of interviews and here are some of the things I have learnt along the way.
It’s all about the prep
The prep you do is almost as important as the
interview itself, so treat it as important and don’t leave it till the last minute. It’s not just a chance to research the company you are seeing but also to prepare yourself. I would take this as a chance to make sure you know your CV and also, if you feel nerves get the better of you at interview, practice some questions and answers with a family member or friend. When researching a company take a look at their website and also look at the company's news pages as this will often have new business wins and the charity work they do. Take a look at Glassdoors are you may find out more about the company's interview process or reviews from former employees. It's also worth taking the time to check out their social media channels. Don’t forget to find out, if possible, anything you can about the person who may be interviewing you, as sometimes you will get the "Do you know who I am" question and the last thing that person wants to hear is no. If you are going through a recruitment agencies ask them what they know about the company and also about the person that conducts their interviews.
With your research now done make sure you know exactly where you are going and how you will get there. On the day itself, if you are prone to getting lost, allow extra time just in case and do try to relax.
Chances are
The chances are they have seen your CV and based on this have decided that you may be a suitable candidate. Use the interview you sell yourself personality included, I know it’s easier said than done but if you applied for the role you must have thought that you had skills to offer the company. Interviews are also about assessing whether you would be a culture fit and to allow them to get to know about all the things you CV doesn’t say. I would say that most companies in my experience hire 50% based on experience and 50% based on culture, so let your personality shine through. Remember also that interviews are a two way thing and just as you are being assessed you are assessing the company. While you may be perfect for the job is the job perfect for you?
It’s okay not to know
Depending on where you are in your career you probably are not expected to know everything that the role requires. If you are asked something you don't know the answer to or your knowledge is limited about a particular subject it’s okay to say that. I would advise that rather than you trying to give a sugar coated answer that your interviewer is likely to see through.
If you are a talker like me try rather that digressing and chewing their ear off try to give clear and concise answers to the questions you were asked.
Q&A
Finally that moment will come when you are asked if you have any questions and your mind goes blank. You'll probably have asked questions along the way but there is nothing worse than saying no as, to some, this indicates you are either not interested in the role or that you didn’t prepare and this is often the last impression you leave. To avoid this happening have some questions written down from the prep you did about the company or the role, there only needs to be a few. If nothing else this will show the interviewer that while you may be nervous in interview you did do your research and indicates a genuine interest in the role.
Receiving a no gracefully
Sadly we can’t win them all and if you receive a no try to take this gracefully. I know it’s disappointing but try to learn from the experience and always ask for feedback so you know why you didn’t get the role. It maybe have been nothing to do with you experience and that there was a candidate with a better fit. Whatever the case thank them for their time and try to not let the rejection affect your next interview.
Because remember every No is closer to a Yes from your perfect role!
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Amanda Ashworth is a Freelance Social Recruiter and Marketer with over 11 years experience recruiting globally. Most recently she has been working with Digital Agencies and Fast Tech Start-ups on Employer Branding and Recruitment Marketing Campaigns. She is passionate about social recruiting and sourcing as a social media/tech geek and avid blogger, blogging for The Undercover Recruiter, Social Media Today and Business2Community. She spoke at both #TruLondon 6/7 and regularly mentors young people enabling them to enter the workplace.
Feel free to connect with her on LinkedIn and Twitter @recsocially
Sr. Recruiter at ASAP Recruitment
8yVery well designed to understand the candidates, really helpful.
Executive Director at The Development Workshop
10yGood points, but with multiple typos and several grammatical errors, it sets a poor example of being thorough, of reviewing what is said or written before sharing it, and sets a tone that it's okay to put out quick, off the cuff information. Hopefully, this is not how you would advise someone to send out a cover letter to introductory email. I had a job candidate respond to a job posting, and after receiving two emails from him with similarly sloppy writing, I decided not to interview him, despite academic qualifications, because it told me his work was quick, sloppy, and most importantly, not reviewed before sending it out to current or worse, to potential clients.
Career Coach | Talent Acquisition Leader, Delivering Career Transformation
10yI was at a Career Day event at a school yesterday and I felt that majority of the students that I spoke with lacked confidence. Many of them were just looking and passing by. Even though I ventured out and said hello, some would just smile and walk away. Honestly, they did not have the courage to walk over and check what opportunities we had open, they were nervous. There were some senior unemployed people that walked over and made a conversation. A few freshers showed up eventually, but out of a 100 I got about 10 that had the courage to approach anyone and find out what they had. Schools never understood what the real world needs and how to prepare kids for the real world. It's just a sad fact that we have to deal with.
Project Manager | Experience in healthcare, retail, technology | Skills: Strategy, Research, Staff Management | PMI Member | PMP Candidate
10yI've been to so many interviews and I'm still not a pro, but yes, I have become a much better interviewee. It's about learning from the experience and either sharpening existing skills or developing new ones. Remember not only are you there to sell yourself, but the company is also doing the same thing. Sometimes even when you prep yourself the interview might not go your way, but its okay. Just be yourself, show enthusiasm, and have some good questions to ask. Don't see it as a step back, but a step forward.
Trainer Corrections Profession in Kenya, Open Society Knowledge Hub Fellow
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