Interview Tips
Our interview tips offer advice to help you prepare for the big day and show employers why you’re right for the job.
See how to stand out at a job interview. We’ll give you advice on how to prepare for the big day, what you need to know, and how to calm interview nerves.
Types of interview
What types of interview are there?
A lot of interviews take place in-person, where you get to meet the people you could work with. Some interviews are one-to-one, and in panel interviews or group interviews you might get to meet several people in the company. Whatever happens, it should be a friendly atmosphere.
Why are job interviews important?
Interviews help employers see if you’re a good fit for the job. It works both ways, because interviews are also your chance to see if you like the work environment and decide if the job is a good fit for you.
Phone interviews
Phone interviews can be a quick route into a job. They may phone you and offer you a job straight after the call! You can also get a phone interview that leads to a face-to-face interview.
Video interviews
Video interviews are becoming increasingly common. The employer should always give you clear instructions on what video software you need (e.g. Google, Zoom, Teams or Skype). Video call software is free if your interview lasts no longer than an hour. Your employer will be aware of this and will not ask you to pay any money for video software.
“I got an apprenticeship through an online interview” – Ciara’s story
Assessment centres
Group interviews can take place in assessment centres. A big employer with lots of apprenticeship vacancies might ask you to come with other candidates to an assessment centre and take part in group interviews and team activities. It’s a great way to show you can work as a team and get along with other people.
Strength-based Interview Questions
“How do you approach life? What positive personal qualities do you have?”
What are your personal strengths? What life skills do you have? As a young adult you have lots to offer, but you haven’t had time to build up much experience yet. Employers will understand this if you are going for your first job, apprenticeship, or an early career opportunity. They will ask you interview questions that help you show your strengths. These questions are designed to help you show how you approach life. If you are keen to learn, motivated to try your best, and organised in terms of your timekeeping, these are all great strengths that employers are looking for.
Interview tips for showing your strengths
Example strengths to show you have in interviews
Competency-based interview questions
“What can you do? What practical skills do you have?”
These types of interview questions focus on your practical skills, and what experience you have of doing specific tasks. As a young adult, you would not typically be asked this type of question in interviews as often, because you still need time to build up your experience and practical skills.
If you are e.g. going for a digital marketing role, then if the employer asks you what marketing software you have used, this is a competency question. Perhaps you can answer that you have used Hootsuite and Mailchimp, or that you know how to schedule social posts on different platforms like Twitter and Instagram.
How to prepare for interviews
Research the employer.
What is their mission? How could you help with that? What appeals to you about how they work and what they do?
Do a practice interview at home.
If you’re a student, you may have access to a careers guidance service where you can run practice interviews with a member of staff. Otherwise you can always friends or family to act as the interviewer and do a practice interview with you.
Treat a practice interview as close to the real thing as you can. Afterwards, ask for some feedback. Were your answers clear and specific? Did you speak clearly and confidently? How was your body language? Did you ask good questions? Did you give full answers?
Decide what questions you’ll ask.
Have two or three ready for the end of the interview. They should make you look like you care about the company and your role in it, and focus less on what the company can do for you. In other words, don’t ask about salary, holidays and perks. Instead, ask what a working day looks like, how your training might work, or what previous people in your position have gone on to do next.
The night before:
Prepare your interview clothes in advance so you don’t have to choose what to wear on the day. Look and feel groomed and clean. Gather everything you need to take with you in one place so you’re not trying to find that lost wallet or phone. Keep details of the time and place of interview and who you will be speaking to, if you have been given that information. Make sure your phone will not run out of juice, especially if you are relying on it to follow a travel route.
Interview Tips on the Day
Be ready, be prepared, be on time.
If you’re doing a video interview, make sure everything is set up correctly in advance so there are no technical issues. If you’re doing an in-person interview, check the route beforehand. Check how you’ll get there, how much it will cost, and how long it will take. Make sure you can arrive comfortably early even if there’s a problem with travel, because this will help you feel calm, relaxed and confident that you are ready to give your best shot.
Arriving at the interview
- Turn up on time or a bit early
- Smile and introduce yourself
- Switch your phone to silent so you won’t be disturbed during the interview
- It’s okay to ask for water or a bathroom break if you need it
During the interview
- It’s okay to ask the interviewer to repeat a question or explain something to make sure you understand what you’re being asked
- Be friendly and polite
- Aim to give full answers to questions. Use each question as an opportunity to show the employer why you are right for the job. Don’t just give yes/no answers. Full answers help employers understand who you are, what you enjoy, what you like doing, what you are good at, and what you would like to be good at one day.
- If you are asked about your skills and experience, give examples of how you have achieved a goal or used a skill in the past (it can be in work, study, or general life).
- You can be honest and say how you have learned from mistakes. Employers understand that everyone makes mistakes. It’s okay to make mistakes. They want to see if you have the resilience to learn and improve from mistakes in the past.
Interview Questions
Common Interview Questions
- Tell us more about yourself.
- Why do you want to work in this trade or industry?
- Why do you want to work for this employer specifically?
- What do you think are your biggest strengths?
- What do you think are your weaknesses (and how have you worked on them?)
- Tell us about a problem you encountered at work/school and how you solved it.
- What has been your biggest achievement so far?
- Tell us about a time you… (worked in a team/demonstrated leadership skills/resolved a conflict at work/etc.)
Questions to ask at interview
- Could you tell me more about my daily responsibilities?
- What form would my training take?
- Are there opportunities to progress in this company?
- What should I achieve in the first three months to make you feel like you’d hired the best person for the role?
Asking about salary, holiday and job perks doesn’t show you are motivated. Questions about salary can make you look like you only care about what the company can do for you.
The questions you ask at the end of the interview are your chance to show you’ve thought about the role and would make a good addition to the team because you are motivated. You care about what you can do for the company. you care about growing and learning in your role.
After the interview
Thank the interviewer for their time.
Say that you are looking forward to hearing from them.
Once you leave, think about the questions you were asked.
Were there any you would have answered differently? When you get home, make time to reflect on how you could improve your answers to any questions you found challenging. You will then be able to answer them with more confidence in future interviews.
If you get the job, congratulations!
Let the company know if you want to accept their offer, then find out when you start and what you need to bring on your first day.
If you don’t get the job, see it as a learning curve.
Not getting the job is a way to build your resilience and grow stronger from setbacks.
Think over your interview experience to learn how you could improve next time.
See all Interview Tips
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