Interview tips

Congratulations, you’ve been invited to interview! This is your chance to really impress. Now you need to make sure you are the outstanding candidate.

Before the interview

• Research the company using every available resource until you feel confident that you know the company well at the interview:
  • check up-to-date company literature and website
  • talk to people you know who work or who have worked there.
• Review the job description and write down all the ways that you can contribute.
• Go back to your CV or application form and make sure that you know it inside out.
• Prepare mentally – remind yourself of what you can contribute to the company and how it matches your own career goals.
• Prepare for some of the obvious questions you could be asked - what would you ask if you were interviewing someone for this role? See our list of questions below
• Practise the answers out loud – even if you feel silly, it helps you feel less nervous when you do it for real.
• Review your appearance:
  • get a haircut if needs be
  • polish your shoes
  • clean your suit
  • de-clutter your bag (pack with notebook, pens and copies of your CV).
• Make sure you know exactly where and when the interview is and how to get there, with time to spare!

On the day

• Arrive 10-15 minutes early for the interview to give yourself time to gather your thoughts, visit the bathroom to check on your appearance and calm down.
• Make sure that your mobile phone is fully charged, you have the company contact details on there, and if you are running late, let them know.
• First impressions really do count –make sure you walk through the door confidently, smiling at everyone (even if you feel really nervous on the inside).
• Maintain good eye contact throughout the interview.
• Back up any answers with examples which illustrate your experience, skills and how you could contribute to the organisation.
• Prepare a list of questions to ask – you could even have these written down and get them out of your bag at the appropriate time, if you think you might be too nervous to remember them.

Dealing with anxieties on the day

For the interview you need to look neat, clean, and well composed. You should always either wear a suit or dress smartly, even if the company does not have a dress code. It is always better to overdress than underdress and feeling smart can make you feel more confident.

Get yourself in the right frame of mind. Think positively – the interviewers obviously liked your CV or application form, and have given up time in their busy schedules to meet with you. If you are worried about something in your work history, such as a redundancy or a course you did not finish, prepare a positive spin on it without making it a feature of the interview – keep it brief.

Common interview questions

Tell us about yourself

This is not an invitation for you to recite your entire life history! Make sure that you have practised the answer to this question repeatedly and you know exactly what you are going to say. Keep it brief, and answer in a couple of sentences, where you are now and where you would like to be in the future.

Why did you apply for the job?

Be positive, selecting two or three points about both the job and the company, which made you want to apply (this is where your research comes in!)

What would your plans be for the first year in this role?

Comment on the research you’ve done on the company and check that you have understood your role correctly. You could talk about a previous role you have had, and how you developed that role over time. What projects have you managed in the past, and what worked and what lessons did you learn, which you would do differently this time?

What is your proudest achievement?

Think of several achievements and be prepared to talk about the work that you put in to make them happen. If you have children, it can be tempting at this stage to talk at length about them and all their achievements, but this is not what the interviewer wants. Instead, you could say,

“I would have to say that I am proudest of my children, but outside of my family life, I was proudest when I was awarded my PhD in genetics, because…..” This is where you could talk about your ability to dedicate yourself to a cause, the research skills you learned, the network you built up etc

How do you think you come across to people?

The interviewers may ask how you think you are coming over to them or how former colleagues would describe you. This is a good point to bear in mind throughout the interview.

What kind of salary did you have in mind?

Outline the research that you have done into salaries in the sector, and be prepared to negotiate, outlining all your relevant experience and skills.

Finally, good luck!