Interview Tips

Interviews are definitely not the most pleasant of activities. However, as anything else in life, it all depends on how you perceive them. If you see your Monday morning interview as a terrifying event in your life which will involve lots of preparing, then you are not likely to perform your best. If on the other hand you take interviews as an opportunity to grow, meet new people and face your fears then you have nothing to lose and you are very likely to do great. So my first interview tip is to think positive and consider interviews as a positive learning experience.

 Research the company, the position and the interviewers

The second interview tip is connected with the first and it is to be as prepared as you can. Make the most of all the time you have prior to the interview. If you have been contacted one week in advance, then use your week to the full to research the company, the position, the interviewers, each of the tasks mentioned in the vacancy advert. Prepare your answers to the most common questions but make sure that when you are giving your answers they do not sound scripted - as that might make you appear unnatural and fake. Practice in front of a mirror and most importantly believe in every word you are saying. As long as you are using your own words you will look natural. If on the other hand, you only have one or two days to prepare for an interview, you still have to make your utmost to prepare yourself. If you need to, take some notes on a piece of paper so that you can revise whenever you can during the days preceding the interview. Keep in mind that once you start having interviews more frequently the entire interview process will become easier and natural to you. You will only have to research the company and the position, but you will already know how to answer the usual interview questions.

Make yourself a favour and prepare a portfolio which holds your CV and all your certificates as well as any sample work you might have, especially if you work in design and marketing or any other creative sector. For example, you can include adverts, brochures and any other promotional material you designed, as well as articles you wrote. For more academic interviews you can include an abstract of papers you wrote like your dissertation or any other related research work you might have carried out. What I would usually do is customize my portfolio to every interview. So for a creative job interview I would include my creative sample work and the CV and cover letter I had used to apply for that specific job. For academic/business jobs I would include more academic sample work. I also suggest to take your time and create the best CV for you. If you are applying for more academic jobs within the EU, they might ask you to present a Europass CV. If you are applying for creative positions, then you should express your creativity in your CV while still keeping it professional. For more inspiration just google graphic designer CV and you will get all sorts of examples.

Take your portfolio

I am sure you all heard about the saying ''dress for the job you want, not the job you have"; I definitely agree. However, you must also consider the industry of the job you are interviewing for. For more creative jobs you might want to wear brighter colors, even if still in a subtle and professional manner. For academic and office jobs, the usual darker suit is the best way to go. However, my fourth interview tip here is to always dress in a way which makes you feel comfortable and stand out from the rest of the applicants- obviously when I say stand out I mean in a positive way. Usually the best way to stand out is to wear what makes you feel great and most confident. Check out the following posts to see what I wear to interviews, including what I wore to the interview for the position I am currently filling Interview Outfit  and Interview Wear.

Standing out among all candidates is the only way you are going to get the job you are interviewing for. So you want to positively stand out from a dress point of view; you want to stand out through the work and portfolio you presented; and very importantly you want to be the best in the way you are relating and communicating with the interviewer/s. Always keep eye contact with the interviewer/s, be polite and nice, answer all their questions by giving information but still keeping it to the point. If you are nervous about the questions, just think that once you have answered the first question everything will get easier as the pressure will go down and you will feel more comfortable. And if you get the job it will be all worth it. If you don't, that experience will help you do better in your next interview.

Believe in yourself!

These are the final interview tips I want to share. Always be early for interviews as you never know what is going to happen. Also be as prepared and informed as you can about the position and company, as this is one of the factors which counts most. Show your excitement for the position and your commitment to do your best. Being perceived as trustworthy, flexible and responsible is also very important if you want to get the job.

If you are worried about your work inexperience because you have never worked, don't. We all started without experience and yet we found someone who was willing to give us an opportunity and most importantly to trust us with the job. You too will find that one person who will trust you.

I think I have covered all aspects and given my most precious interview tips. If you have any questions, leave them in the comments and I will answer them. I hope this post helps you acing your next interview. And remember that if you don't get the job it might actually be a positive thing because the next opportunity might be even better...

STAY FAB