How can interview

Most employers ask for digital copies of your resume with the application, but they may not have easy access to it during the interview itself. Having copies to present to multiple interviewers shows that you're prepared and organized. You should have at least three copies to provide for multiple interviewers, plus one for yourself to follow along. During your preparation, read over your resume and rehearse explanations for any gaps that may appear or other oddities.

For example, you may have taken time off work to care for a child or family member, switched careers or had other legitimate reasons for employment gaps. These can be a concern for employers, so it's best to prepare your explanation to show them that you're not a risk. You may also encounter questions about your resume that are awkward. It's important to be honest but diplomatic in addressing them. For example, you may have left a job because of your supervisor or manager, or policies that you didn't agree with, but you don't want to speak negatively about a former employer.

Consider these possible questions and prepare your answers in advance, so you don't accidentally say something you'll regret. Like the rest of the interview, it's best to prepare for these questions by writing notes and rehearsing your answers out loud multiple times prior to the interview. Job interviews tend to be stressful for most people for many reasons, but getting to the interview can be a challenge in itself. If your interview is an unfamiliar area or even an entirely new city, it can be a source of anxiety to find your way around and make sure that you show up on time.

To avoid becoming too anxious for your commute, prepare yourself to ensure everything goes smoothly on the day of the meeting. Here's how:. Search the location in advance: Most interviews are scheduled days or weeks in advance, so you have time to research the location. If your interview is close enough, you can take a day to go to the location and check out the parking, take note of the traffic and find the suite or office where your interview will be.

If you're anxious about parking or any other aspect of the location, contact your interviewer to ask them for more information. One of the biggest challenges in an interview is selling yourself. Most people are uncomfortable with this idea, but presenting yourself accurately and positively doesn't have to feel like a sale.

The truth is that you do have professional skills and experiences that may set you apart from other applicants, so it's acceptable and expected for you to acknowledge them to your potential employer. When you prepare for a job interview, make note of your skills that relate to the role and think of how your experiences and abilities can contribute to the overall goals of the department and company.

Your answers will be somewhat short, so you want to choose the most positive and relevant information to share during the interview.

If you have metrics or stats to show your accomplishments or growth during your previous roles, they're a great help in selling yourself during the interview. For example, you may have increased sales by a certain percentage or increased social media engagement in your last position. Whatever accomplishments you have, don't be modest about sharing them during your interview. Your potential employer wants to know that you'll be the right fit and that you can deliver something to the company, so they need to know all the reasons that you can provide that for them.

After your interview, you should prepare to follow up with the employer. Doing so reminds the employer of your conversation, shows them you are genuinely interested in the position and gives you the opportunity to bring up points you forgot to mention.

Here are a few steps you can follow when crafting a follow-up note:. Be sure to provide specific examples wherever possible. Taking time to prepare for an interview will ultimately help you feel more relaxed and confident during the process. Find jobs. Good luck. Why not extend your interview knowledge further by trying one of the resources below?

Alternatively, you can visit our interviews hub for more tools and tips. From I want to prepare for an interview. What is the employer looking for? Panic no more with this handy guide.

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Register or Log in. Search Search. Prep the possible questions — and their answers Looking at the job description and the skills required for the role should give you a steer on what kind of questions could be asked about your abilities and experience.

Research career progression and training opportunities The role itself is one thing, but by broadening your research out a bit into how the role fits within the team or the company, this will give you a good understanding of what path you could possibly take within the business.

In presenting information, a speaker allocates blocks of time to various items on his agenda. If no time limit is established, the presentation can continue indefinitely. Even worse, the truly important information may never be told. This process takes place by dint of the normal human trait of retaining the most significant bits of information for the end. Psychiatrists recognize this and are particularly attentive in the last ten minutes of the therapy session.

Borrowing from this insight, the interviewer, although not able to set an hourly cycle as does the psychiatrist, should try discreetly to indicate a time scale. This allows the interviewee to plan and to include relevant information which otherwise might be withheld. If the interview is terminated too abruptly, the probability of losing valuable information is very high.

A time limit can be suggested by citing the next appointment or by noting, perhaps, a previously scheduled conference. Sometimes it may be in the best interest of both parties to set another date for an extended session or to plan on completing only one or two stages of progress at a time. Certainly the general tone of the interview should be one of helpfulness and friendliness so as to minimize the immediate barriers to forthright communication.

In this connection it should be mentioned that privacy is a first prerequisite to good interviewing. An important component of this is freedom from distracting interruptions. The telephone many times is such a distraction. In order to establish the critically important element of rapport with the interviewee, a genuine attempt should be made to put the interviewee at ease—especially in job application, promotion, or other interviews where significant differences in status exist.

Normally, at the beginning of an interview an allowance should be made for the interviewee to adjust to the interview environment. The situation is new for the interviewee; it may be his or her first experience of this kind. Unless there is a specified adaptation period, the interviewee may be unable to reduce his or her level of anxiety, with the resulting loss of the entire session. Part of this adaptive process is familiarization with the surroundings.

It is an often overlooked truism that whenever an individual is placed in a strange situation, he becomes apprehensive. Overcoming this fear is often a most difficult procedure. By explaining, for example, the need for commonplace objects such as pencil and note paper that are anxiety-provoking, the level of tension may be reduced. Also, it is well to remember that the manner and simple courtesies extended by the interviewer are greatly magnified in the eyes of the interviewee.

Thus, a limited amount of pleasantries may be condoned if they fulfill this useful purpose. By jotting down significant bits of information, the interviewer can readily reconstruct what actually took place.

The record assists with details which would be hard to remember if not recorded. The time that would be needed to fix them in mind without benefit of notes can be used to greater advantage listening and thinking.

Then, too, writing down items compliments the interviewee; it means that his responses are considered important enough to be recorded. It is a convenient reinforcing mechanism; it may even be used to guide the path of the interview. Information of a picayune variety should naturally be avoided. Similarly, allowing the interviewee to relate too much information can be dangerous. Any inadvertently revealed facts or incidents may bring about severe anxiety feelings when he or she reflects on them later.

Temptations to divulge information too freely should be sidestepped as lightly as possible so that continued rapport may be maintained. In addition, circumspection should be exercised at all times lest the interviewer become too emotionally involved in the exchange. Disagreements tend to provoke planning for verbal counterattacks with the result that the informational content is lost.

The interviewee is overly sensitive to all reactions by the interviewer. Taking advantage of this, the interviewer may easily steer the conversation along the most productive channels. Small inflections in the voice give encouragement. Have you planned your journey and checked the timetables for any public transport you need to take? Does all your equipment work for video and telephone interviews?

Avoiding alcohol the night before and having a healthy breakfast on the morning of your interview will stand you in good stead. If your interview is scheduled after lunchtime, make sure you eat something even if you're feeling nervous - you won't put in your best performance on an empty stomach.

It's a good idea to do at least one mock interview before the real thing. Your university careers and employability service will help you to practice your interview technique. You can also write and practise answers to common interview questions with someone you trust - possibly even recording yourself and then reviewing your performance.

It's also worth testing your telephone connection and making sure that your laptop, microphone and any other technical equipment you need is working and you know how to use them. While many employers expect candidates to dress smartly, a growing number encourage casual wear at work, making it trickier than ever to choose an interview outfit.

What you'll be expected to wear depends on factors such as the size of the company, the industry it operates in and the culture it promotes. For example, a small creative agency may have different standards to a major accountancy firm. If you're unsure on the dress code, ask before attending the interview. The key point to remember is that it's better to be too smart than too casual.

Only opt for a more casual outfit if you're certain that's acceptable - if there's any doubt, go for smart business attire. Whatever you choose, make sure that your clothes are ironed and your shoes are clean. For telephone and online interviews make sure you dress as though the interview is in person. As your job interview comes to an end, make sure you find out when you'll be informed of the outcome - and thank the interviewer for giving you the chance to attend. Make some notes about the questions that were asked and how you answered them while the interview is still fresh in your memory.

This will help you prepare even better for future interviews. As you're preparing for the interview, think about ways you can show yourself in a positive light:. Jobs and work experience Search graduate jobs Job profiles Work experience and internships Employer profiles What job would suit me?

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