What To Do Before The Job Interview

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What research should I do before the interview?

So you've recieved notification that you've got an interview, you're going to a bit of a panic - but don't. There are certain "do"s and certainly certain "don't"s that you need to do prior to your attending the interview for real. First thing is, do your research; make sure you know exactly where it is that you're going, how long it's going to to take you to get there, and what the parking or transport arrangements are. If you're coming in by train or tube, you need to leave plenty of time. Find out how long the journey is likely to take you. If it's by car, do they have their own parking? Do you need to register a parking space? Do you need to make sure you are feeding a meter? Have you got plenty of change? Those sort of obvious things are essential. Moving on, you need to look at their website; you need to find out who is interviewing you, what their position is, what offers there are on the website in terms of other jobs that they are advertising or offering currently, but also look at the press releases that you can link in from the home page of most companies. It tells you an awful lot about what is going on in their industry at the moment. New awards they may have got, new contracts they may have won, people that they may have taken on, who is moving up, who is moving down. You need to find out as much about this industry as possible. Rolling this on, you have all your research you know, all about the company prior to arriving. You also need to know when do you get in the building, how long it is going to take you from signing in at security to get in the front of the individual who's going to interview you. You have to have a window of a minimum of ten minutes to get from the signing in process to the the person in front of you. Other things to consider: how many questions do I need to ask, how long is the interview going to last, what questions do I need to ask, what questions is the interviewer going to ask me; what are they expecting from the interview, also very important: what is the dress code. All of these questions can be answered prior to actually going in. The whole idea of a successful interview is being so well prepared up-front that you really don't have to worry that much about the interview process. The any times we go into panic or frustration in an interview because we have not prepared, or we're rushed or hassled. By having perfect preparation before you arrive for the interview you get rid of most of that emotion.

What should I take to an interview?

The most essential things you're going to need when you get to the interview are: a) a pen and b) something to write on; preferably a nice pen, you know, something nice and silvery or shiny or something like that, not just a cheap little Bic that's been chewed at the end. Also, a pad that looks quite nice and clean; not sort of dog-eared around the corners and scribbled all over it. The whole idea is to convey a very professional image. Those are the absolute basics. In addition to that, you may want to phone the interviewer and say "What do you expect from me in this interview? Do I need to do some kind of PowerPoint presentation? Do I need to give some kind of illustration? Do you have a projector? Do you have a laptop that I can use?" All these sort of questions need to be addressed. But the basics are your ears, a nice pen, and a nice pad.

Do I need to take a copy of my CV to the interview?

Bear in mind that the only information that your interviewer has in front of them is your CV. So sometimes it might be a good idea to take your CV or a copy of it along with you. But normally you should have most of it stuck in your head, anyway.

Do I need to study the industry I'm being interviewed for?

During your interview, you will be asked questions that are specific to the industry, and indeed, specific to your task. It's very, very important that you have quite a thorough grounding in the type of business that you're going to be involved in.

Do I need to be up-to-date in current affairs?

Quite often people have said to me, "Well, how much do I need to read the newspaper? How much business knowledge do I need to have? How much political knowledge do I need to have?" Think of the relevance that it has to a) the industry, and b) the role that you have it. People don't expect you to be a political guru or a business guru. Think of the specifics.

How can I practise for an iterview?

The best way to practice for an interview is that the mirror be your mentor. What I mean by that is stand you front of the bathroom mirror, or, indeed, if you have a full-length mirror, so much the better. Watch your body language, watch what you say, and, indeed, how you say it. By practising in front of the mirror you will feel that much more comfortable when you have to repeat the questions or the answers to your prospective employer.

Can I take anyone with me to an interview?

It's not a very good idea to take anybody else along with you to the interview. Number one, if you physically take them into the building they'll probably be left in reception anyway, because it's you that they want to see - not your mum, or your girlfriend, or your boyfriend or your dog. Number two, it is sending out the wrong message to your prospective employer; they are thinking, "Well, can't this person stand on his own two feet". Leave them at home. You can talk to them a bit later.