The dos and don'ts of job interviews

Almost everyone will have to attend a job interview at one point in their lives – it is just a fact of life. And, unfortunately, job interviews are often nerve-wracking experiences – especially if you are unprepared.

If you want to secure the job, you must impress during the initial job interview. So what can you do to truly stand out from the crowd?

Thankfully, there are some simple dos and don'ts that you can follow to help you impress your prospective employer, including:

Dos:

Be prepared:

If you want to wow your potential employer, then you need to come prepared. Do you understand the business, its vision and values? How does the business compare with its competitors? What are the goals and objectives of the business? If you can show your prospective employer that you have a real interest in the business and what it stands for, it will help you to stand out from the crowd.

Dress for the job:

It is important to always dress for the company and the role you are applying for. If you are applying for a role in a financial services company, dress in professional, clean, crisp corporate attire. If you are applying to be an electrician, you may not need to wear a suit, but you should still dress appropriately and respectably.

Use social media:

When preparing for a job interview, it is important to do as much research as possible. Do you know the name of the person interviewing you? Look them up on LinkedIn and see what connections they have. They might know someone in your network. If you are able to establish commonalities with your interviewer, you can build a rapport with them.

Ask questions:

When applying for a job, it is important to remember that you are interviewing the company and its people just as much as they are interviewing you. Throughout your interview, ask questions. By asking questions you will be able to find out whether or not this is the right job and role for you. Good interview questions may include:

• What is the work culture of the company like?
• What is the average employee tenure? How long have you been with the company for and what makes you stay?
• What are the company's goals – both short and long term?
• What type of career opportunities could I expect if I were to take the job?
• How would my performance be measured?

Don'ts:

Recite the company profile:

Often in a job interview, your prospective employer will ask the question: ‘what do you know about the company?', the trick is not to recite the business' ‘about us' page. Your interviewer will no doubt ask every person the same question, so they will soon tire of hearing the company profile recited to them. Instead, show that you have gone above and beyond and investigated the company on a deeper level. If you can show that you are attune to the company's values, goals and vision, it will help you to stand out from the crowd.

Be anyone else:

In an interview it is important to be yourself. Don't try to be someone you think the company wants you to be – your interviewer will see straight through your façade.

Try too hard:

While it is important to look the part, do your research and come prepared to an interview, if you don't get a good feeling from the company or believe half way through the interview that the role isn't right for you, don't try too hard to win the position. Be honest and straight forward with the interviewer and let them know post-interview that it is not the right opportunity for you. Don't take a job just because it is offered to you. After all, you will spend a vast majority of your time at work, so make sure you do something that you enjoy.