Jobs & Careers with Piers Linney - 43

ADVICE:

1

INTERVIEWS

Who's who

Find out as much as you can
about the position, and who is
going to be interviewing you. Ask
the person who offered you the interview
who will be conducting it, then get
researching - Google is your friend.
Memorise the job description by heart
so you know what they're looking for.
Many companies also list biographical
information/case studies about their
employers, so get online and check out
their history. If your interviewer has
worked somewhere you have, or done
something you admire, mention it.
Don't overdo it, though, you don't want
to come across as a stalker.

2

Make a good
first impression

Start with a firm, but
not crushing, handshake
and make and maintain regular eye
contact with your interviewer. It shows
confidence and honesty. You may be
nervous, but if you sit up straight and
smile, you'll come across as confident.
Check your body language - don't
cross your legs or your arms as this
comes across as defensive. Breathe
slowly and steadily as it will help
calm your nerves, and make sure you're
not fidgeting, picking your nails or
scuffing your feet!

3

Don't be afraid
to speak up

This is your chance to stand
out from the other 10 people
they have on their list, so make the most
of the opportunity. You want to appear
enthusiastic, so be keen with your
answers, but don't interrupt while the
interviewer is talking. They will expect
you to be nervous, so don't worry if you
make the odd slip up - just apologise
and explain that you are very nervous
as you really want this job.

4

Be prepared

While each job interview is
different, many questions
come up time and time again,
so it's a good idea to get some answers
prepared in advance.
We've put together some of the most
common ones over the page, but the
following almost always come up: What
interests you about this job? Describe

your greatest strengths/weaknesses?
Practice in front of a friend or family
member to help you get used to 'selling
yourself ' in public. Stick to professional
subjects, not what you and your mates
get up to at the weekends.
You want to come across as keen,
confident, but not cocky. It's always
a good idea to have an example to
illustrate your answer, too. For
example, if they ask you what your
biggest achievement to date has been,
tell them about a project you have
completed, what your role involved
and why you enjoyed it so much.
If they ask about your weaknesses,
don't say you haven't got any, instead
provide one or two, with a positive
solution: for example, say that you
can tend to take on too much, but
that you are learning the importance
of delegation.

5

Think about your
own questions

At the end of the interview,
you're likely to be asked if
you have any questions. Try not to
say no; come up with at least one
relevant question - either about the
company or the job role itself. You could
ask the interviewer to describe a typical

day, or how large the team is you will
potentially be working for, or what
they enjoy most about working at this
company, and any future plans.

6

Follow up

Your interview isn't over the
minute you walk out the door.
If you haven't heard back after
a week, a friendly phone call (just the
one, don't stalk them) tells the employer
that you are really interested in the
position and may give you that extra
push from second on the list, to first.

Piers says...

❛I sent 68 to
applications

big law firms and
got one and a half
offers. Me on paper didn't stack
up. I didn't go to the right school
or have the right background.
But once I' d got into the
interview room, I could talk
the talk, and I told them to give
me a chance, and they did.

❜

J O B S & C A R E E R S /// 0 4 5
Jobs & Careers with Piers Linney

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Jobs & Careers with Piers Linney
