Interviews are a stressful but inevitable part of the job application process. In this blog article, Ravi, one of our Career Ambassadors, discusses how you can successfully prepare for a job interview and calm those pre-interview nerves.
I was recently successful in an interview process for a support worker position. Prior to my support worker interview, my first step of preparation was research. I read through the job description and specification to understand what the employer was looking for in a support worker. One of the requirements was to be able to work cohesively in a team with other healthcare professionals. Therefore I prepared for possible teamwork questions by reflecting on my past teamwork experiences. It is important to have several examples of your past experiences prepared when entering the interview, therefore you will be able to demonstrate that you have the skills required to fulfil the role. Ensure that your examples are tailored to the skills that employers are looking for.
For ideal preparation, I recommend booking a mock interview session with the careers developments service. I found this 1-to-1 interview extremely useful in simulating the interview environment. I was therefore able to rehearse for some basic interview questions such as, ‘why do you want the position’. The careers advisors also provided detailed feedback regarding my performance in the mock interview.
Prior to the day of the interview, ensure that you are well organised as this will ease the stress at the interview. The day before the interview, plan your journey to the interview location. Aim to arrive at the interview a minimum of 15 minutes prior to the start time. Decide what you will wear the night before the interview and ensure that your clothes are clean and pressed. I recommend wearing formal business attire as this will leave a positive impression on the interviewers. The final preparation for an interview is getting a good night’s sleep!
To make a good impression in the interview, ensure that you communicate well with the interviewer. During the interview, maintain eye contact with the interviewers and speak enthusiastically about the position. Finally, have confidence in your ability, you have done well to get to this point of the recruitment process.
Good luck!
If you would like a one-to-one interview preparation session – or if you would like to become a Careers Ambassador next semester! – check out our website for details.