Here’s 10 things to do during an interview that’ll help you make a good impression and get the most out of the experience.
1. Listen carefully
Communication has two main elements. Talking to others and listening to others when you aren’t talking.
This means actively listening to what the interviewer is saying so that you understand and waiting for your turn to speak. Interrupting is rude and makes a bad impression, no matter who you’re speaking to.
2. Answer questions truthfully
Lying in your interview is a big no no, just like you shouldn’t lie in your CV. You’ll get caught out eventually and it won’t look good. You aren’t likely to face many questions where you’ll want to lie, but many people feel the need to avoid answering questions about things like why they haven’t stayed in jobs for very long.
This doesn’t mean you have to share things you’re uncomfortable with (e.g. when explaining gaps in your CV), but you should try to stick to the truth as much as you can by giving a relevant explanation to any questions.
3. Take notes
Your interviewer will be taking notes about you during the interview as they get to know you. This is also your chance to take notes about them and the company. You might hear something interesting or need to write a reminder about something you want to come back to later.
This will be useful when you’re considering if you want to take the job or not if you’re successful and when you have the opportunity to ask questions.
4. Ask questions
Speaking of, make sure you ask questions in your interview. This is your chance to find out anything you need to know. You might think of questions you’d like to ask throughout the interview, but it’s always good to go prepared.
Common questions that interviewees ask include:
- What is the workplace culture like?
- What does a typical day look like for this role?
- What goals would I be expected to achieve in the first 3 months?
- What progression opportunities are there?
5. Keep your phone on silent (and out of the way)
This might seem obvious, but your phone is a distraction that you don’t want to interrupt your interview. If your phone makes a noise it might seem like you are disorganized, or if it’s on the table it might seem rude, especially if you glance at notifications as they pop up. All of your focus should be on your interview.
Keep your phone on silent so that it doesn’t ring and keep it in your pocket or bag during your interview. If you do need to put it on the table, make sure the screen is facing down so you aren’t tempted to look at it.
6. Be honest and stay positive
We’ve already talked a bit about not lying in your interview or CV and it’s one of the most important things to do. Another is staying positive!
This means by keeping positive and believing in yourself, but also projecting that positivity out with what you say. When speaking about your work experience, you’ll want to stay positive. If you didn’t have a good experience with previous employers or co-workers, that’s ok to mention but you don’t want to talk negatively about them in a bad way.
Focus on what you learned from the experience instead and focus on what went well.
7. Use your body language
Body language is another type of communication and it can tell you a lot. The main message it will send to your interviewer is whether you’re nervous or confident.
Now it doesn’t really matter if you’re nervous and you show it, because it’s expected. However, your interviewer will be looking at your ability to communicate non-verbally and if you’re really nervous it might affect your ability to answer questions and converse well.
For a lot of people, knowing others can see they are nervous makes them feel worse. Controlling your body language is a good way to stay on top of your nerves. Relax in your chair (but don’t lounge!) and fold your hands in your lap or lean them on the table. Being open shows your confidence and sitting small shows your hiding away.
Make comfortable eye contact, smile and focus on the conversation and you’ll relax as you get familiar with the interviewers and the situation.
8. Talk about your skills
When talking about your work experience, talk about your skills too! The same goes for your CV.
Link your ability to work as a team, communicate, problem solve and take initiative by picking out specific examples of your work like projects you’ve worked on or led.
If you don’t think you have many experiences of work to talk about, focus on the positive aspects. If you don’t have much work experience, a skills based CV shows off your potential, and the same goes for your interview.
9. Don’t be afraid to share your success
Just because you’re trying to impress your potential employer, it doesn’t mean you need to talk about all the brilliant things you did all on your own.
While these are great stories (and you should talk about them), you should also take the time to talk about successful things you’ve done as part of a team. It shows you work well with others and recognise the importance of collaborating.
It can be as simple as saying ‘as a team we…’ and then going on to talk about your own responsibilities and the impact you had.
10. Say thank you
This is one of the smallest things you can do and that you shouldn’t forget! Saying a simple thank you at the end of your interview shows you’re polite and that you appreciate the time they took to interview you. It’s a small act but it goes a long way.
Another way to be professional and polite is to say hello when you arrive, wait patiently for your interview to start (while making simple small talk if needed), and shake hands with your interviewer.
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