Developing a good understanding prior to the interview of
what the company does and what it stands for is vital. Questions about what you
know about the company are almost definitely going to be asked and almost
certainly by someone in a position of power, so they will be waiting for a
strong answer to show you’ve done your research.
Knowing information about the industry and the business
itself, shows you are serious about the prospect of working there and
interested in both the now and the future of the business.
First impressions count! Dressing appropriately for the job
or company is important. If you don’t know quite what to wear then it doesn’t
hurt to ask, but a general rule of thumb would be that it’s better to be too
smart than underdressed.
Being punctual and polite are perhaps the easiest things in the entire process to get right. If you arrange your interview for 9am, then make sure you are not late by leaving plenty of time to get to the location. And when you do arrive, be friendly and warm – don’t forget to smile – towards those who you meet – not just the interviewers.
In days of old a good handshake would be a good start to any
interview, but the pandemic has put pay to a lot of unnecessary contact.
There are plenty of other things you can do however,
including making eye contact, positive facial expressions, and displaying
confident, enthusiastic, and open body language, including hand gestures.
From the outset of any interview, the interviewer is giving
you information, either directly or indirectly, so if you aren’t actively
listening you are likely to be missing out on building key knowledge.
This ties in with not talking too much. Telling the
interviewer more than they need to know could be costly. Rambling and going
into things you haven’t prepared in advance can lead to you saying something
you didn’t want to.
In other words: take care to answer any questions clearly
and concisely.
When asked if you have any questions, responding with “no”
is almost always the wrong answer. Even asking one question at the end of an
interview can be better than offering nothing up. Asking questions demonstrates
you have an interest in the company and gives you an opportunity to dig a
little deeper into something that might have come from the interview.