With many highly qualified applicants competing for the same competitive and well-paid roles, it’s perhaps more important than ever to impress during the interview stages. Meeting prospective employers face-to-face for the first time is the perfect chance to bring your CV to life and show why you’re good for the job, so here are five top tips for landing the career of your dreams.
1. Dress to impress
First impressions count so make sure you are dressed appropriately for a job interview. While what you wear will probably depend on the job you’re going for, it’s always better to be over dressed than under dressed so if wanting to work in sales or manage a restaurant, don’t be afraid to pull out the power suit. This will not only help you to feel more confident but it’ll give the impression you’re serious about the job in question, so take time to plan your outfit.
2. Do your research
If you want to stand out from the crowd and give yourself the best opportunity of securing a specific role, always research the company you’re interviewing for. Find out when they were founded, memorise the name of the CEO, understand how they’ve evolved and familiarise yourself with some of the current projects they’re working on. Once you have this information you will be able to talk in a more knowledgeable way and drop in key facts during the interview that will show you’ve done your homework.
3. Be open and honest
In order to impress those interviewing, it’s wise to be as honest and open as possible as if employers think you are hiding something (like an upcoming move to Japan), they’ll be reluctant to hire you. The panel will throw many common interview questions your way, but if you’re asked why you want to leave your current job, explain this in a coherent way. If you don’t feel challenged, for instance, then explain how you want to develop the skills you already have and discuss how your experience could benefit the company.
4. Make suggestions
Often, interviews will ask prospective employees what they could bring to the organisation as a whole. They may even ask you more specific questions like how could their website be improved or how would you change the layout of the blog, so be prepared for this and don’t shy away from making bold suggestions. In fact, you could always prep these answers in advance and make light of your suggestions at an appropriate time to show you’ve thought things through carefully.
5. Show you understand company culture
Believe it or not, many people are hired not because of their skills alone, but because they fit in with the vibe of the company. Maintaining a healthy corporate culture is extremely important, so if you want to work somewhere desperately, you must understand and be in sync with the attitudes, values and beliefs of the staff and of the business as a whole. If you like keeping your head down and working in a solitary environment for example, applying to a company which is all about team building activities and socialising might not be the best idea.
Interviews can be nerve-wracking but these tips will help you land that dream job.
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