Questions. Questions. Questions.

You’d be amazed how many candidates don’t have questions prepared for an interview.

This is your opportunity to do two major things. Firstly, show a genuine interest in the business and the opportunity. Secondly, find out whether or not this is actually the right opportunity for you.

Showing an interest is all well and good, but how do you know for certain that this is the job you want to be in for the next few years? By making sure you’re asking questions that address those areas directly, you’ll be able to eliminate any uncertainty come decision time.

As recruiters, we firmly believe that interviews are a genuine two-way street. Times have changed for the better and now you - the job seeker - have the power to put your prospective employers under the spotlight.

Be a STAR.

You’ve probably heard of the STAR method. It is tried and tested, reliable, and a format that has worked time and time again in favour of the job seeker. It’s best adopted to handle the more tricky scenario-based or “give me an example of” questions.

Put simply, it is a way of tailoring your responses in a way that provides the most structured detail, broken into 4 steps.

For example, give me an example of a time you had to deal with an unsatisfied customer and how did you resolve that matter?

Situation

What happened in that moment… talk about your job and what it was that the customer was ‘unsatisfied’ with.

Task

What was your goal from here… explain what you needed to do to rectify the issue. Did you take it upon yourself to ensure the customer would get the answers they were looking for? Did you want to help them find a solution?

Action

How did you accomplish that goal, and what were the steps you took to get there? Did this involve an empathetic conversation with the customer? Did you raise this issue with management? Did you have to log into a system to find a lost item/purchase? What else did you do (individually or collectively)?

Result

After you took the above steps, what happened? Did the customer walk away feeling like they were listened to? Did they smile and shake your hand? Did they compliment you personally and your assistance?

Be yourself.

‘Culture fit’ is a term bandied about so much in the job search.

Unfortunately, it’s also a reason to be rejected from a vacancy, often without clarity on what exactly is ‘unfit’ about your culture. The solution is quite simple - don’t pretend to be someone you’re not.

Now, there are some steadfast rules that should apply to every interview. You should always be on time. You should always be polite. You should always be honest.

Outside of that, whether you are an extrovert who shouts from the rooftop, or a little more withdrawn and lacking confidence in wider group settings, then wear that with pride. Ultimately, if you’re changing who you are to be hired, then guess what! You’re going to need to keep this ‘new you’ ongoing in the job as well.

Be yourself in the interview, and you’ll get to be yourself in the job, too.