Useful Tips for Successful Interviews 

Many candidates lose the job in the first minute of the interview by not thinking carefully about their initial impact.  John Lees shares his expert interview tips.

1      Don’t waste the opening moments

Many candidates lose the job in the first minute of the interview by not thinking carefully about their initial impact.  Interviewers make a quick initial decision about your personality from the moment you arrive, based on how you look and sound.  Dress as if you already work there and you’ve just been promoted.  Make those initial seconds relaxed and upbeat as you can, even if you’re just talking about your journey.  

2     Don’t over-deliver

Most candidates say too much.  Interviewers are not that interested, and will usually accept a short, positive answer and move on.  Practise compressing your evidence into good short stories no more than 3 minutes long setting out what problem you were handling, what you did, how you did it, and what the result was.

3     Don’t act like a stranger

Leave your coat, umbrella, and bag in reception.  Just take in a slim folder into the interview room containing the documents you need, and you will look like an employee rather than a visitor.

4      Don’t try to wing difficult questions

Don’t duck predictable questions about your know-how and skill level – think carefully about good examples.  Equally predictable questions cover things like strengths (talk about qualities that match the job) and weaknesses (talk about skills you are improving and make it clear that you’re a fast learner).

John Lees has written a wide range of careers books.  His 2013 titles are Just The Job!, his first systematic guide to job searching, and Knockout CV, a comprehensive guide to writing a winning CV.