I received great news today from an old client, who, after being turned down last year got her dream role. I had been helping her with her interview skills, so this made it doubly exciting.
Interviews can be nerve-wracking for many people, but especially so for mums who have been out of the workforce for a while and haven’t had much interview practice. If you’re changing career the stakes can feel even higher. If you’ve finally been selected for interview, it’s understandable that you would feel under pressure – this could be your dream role after all – or a steppingstone to making it happen.
The good news is that with preparation and practice, you can improve your interview skills and feel more confident when meeting with potential employers.
Here are my seven top tips for nailing interviews.
- Make sure you research the company and role. This will give you a better understanding of the company culture, values and mission, and you can use that to tailor your answers to the interviewer’s questions. It also shows you’re serious about the job, as you’ve done your homework and employers can always tell.
- Prepare answers to common interview questions like “Tell me about yourself” and “what are your strengths and weaknesses.” If you prepare your answers to these questions beforehand, then you won’t be caught off guard and it will give you confidence to know you’ve got some runs on the board with your answers to these questions.
- Be unapologetic about your career change or career break if you’ve had one. Your answers to the interviewers’ questions always need to focus on what you can do, not what you can’t. If you don’t have experience in that industry then instead you need to highlight the skills you do have, how your prior experience has prepared you well for this role and how committed you are to it.If you’ve had a career break to raise your children, then own it. Talk about how you much you have valued that time, any new skills or hobbies you’ve picked up but how you are now raring to go and ready for the next challenge.
- Have some examples prepared that demonstrate how you meet the selection criteria and use the STAR framework. You will often be asked behavioural questions in interviews like “Tell me about a time you worked in a team to solve a problem.” You can predict the sorts of skills you might be quizzed on based on the selection criteria for the role. Then you just need to think up examples of how you have used those skills in the past.A useful way to frame your response is using STAR. This stands for (S)ituation, (T)ask, (A)ction, (R)esult. You take your example and you tell the interviewer what the situation is and the challenges associated with the situation, what your role was as part of that situation, what action you took – and this is where all those skills come in and what the result was. Sometimes the result doesn’t have to be a success, like you made the company millions of dollars, it can be something that you learned through the process.If you google STAR framework you’ll find heaps of examples.
- Ask questions. This shows that you’re interested in the company and the role and that you’ve taken the time to seriously think about it. This is also an opportunity for you to address any concerns you might have about the role and whether it’s a good fit. Remember, you’re interviewing them too.
- Try some mindfulness techniques. If you’re feeling anxious about the interview then deep breathing exercises, meditation and visualisation techniques can be helpful ahead of the interview to help you feel relaxed. On the day make sure you know where you need to be and at what time. Or if you’re interviewing over zoom then check your set up and that your microphone and camera are working. Staying on top of the logistics will help to calm your nerves as the last thing you want is to be rushing around just before you go in. When you’re in the interview take your time to think through your answers and clarify along the way for understanding.
- Follow up after the interview with a thank you email. This will show your appreciation for the interviewer’s time and reiterate your interest in the job. It can also help keep you top of mind as the interviewer makes their decision.
Nobody likes interviews but with some practice and preparation you can improve your skills. The important thing to remember is that you are interviewing the employer too and interviews are a great chance to see if this is an organisation or role that you want.
Good luck!
Denny