Prepare for the perfect interview

4th July 2017

When interviewing for a job, your prime concern is standing out from a sea of candidates who are also fighting to make the best possible impression. That’s why it’s essential to fully prepare yourself to prove to potential employers that you are the perfect fit for the role.

Make a good impression

It goes without saying that you should dress appropriately, be punctual, polite, and bring with you all of your relevant documents. It might seem like a no-brainer, but the bare minimum you can do to get ready for an important interview is to make sure you have done your research. This doesn’t just mean a quick Google search. Spend at least a few hours learning all you can about the company from as many sources as possible, be it local news media or trade publications, talk to contacts on the inside, and bring yourself up to speed on their social media. This will not only help with broadening the scale of your knowledge, but will also give you a sense of the values and personality of the company. Understanding this is key to getting the gist of the tone of the company, and enable you to adapt your interview approach to reflect this and show prospective employers just how suited you are to work there and that you are capable of excelling in the role.

Having a wealth of knowledge to draw from is a good start, but you need to have some sort of idea on what to do with it. Find out what type of interview format you’ll be facing, and tailor what you know to suit that. Investing time and effort into doing so will only be of benefit to ensuring you come across as knowledgeable and confident, and keeping answers relevant. As well as preparing answers, it is a good idea to prepare some questions for the interviewers themselves. Doing so will demonstrate a genuine interest in company activity and a desire to become a part of it, as well as build a rapport with the interviewers that will help them remember who you are.

While this is by no means an exhaustive guide on how to excel in every interview, our advice provides a solid basis to building and perfecting your technique. Even if you are unsuccessful, each interview should be taken as an opportunity to practise your skills and ensure that you get it right next time.

Don’t be afraid to ask for advice

At M4 Recruitment, your recruitment advisor is always on-hand to give any advice and support when preparing for your interview. We will always do our best to help you prepare for any vacancies that we think are right for you, including complementary interview coaching and practice interviews to help you build your confidence in an interview situation and present yourself and your skills to potential employers in the best light.

If at any time you feel there is more you need to know, then please don’t hesitate to ask!