Eight steps to graduate interview success
An invitation to an interview means you’re well on your way to securing yourself a graduate job. But selling your skills face to face or on the phone is very different from selling your skills on paper. We’ll show you how to think on your feet and prepare for all eventualities.
Getting an interview is a huge achievement – it means you’ve convinced graduate recruiters that you’re capable of doing the job. But you’ll be one of many graduates vying for the position, and while you can’t alter the calibre of the other applicants you can make sure you’re thoroughly prepared. Our step-by-step guide will give you the best possible chance for interview success.
While you can’t alter the calibre of the other applicants you can make sure you’re thoroughly prepared
1. Find out what kind of interview you’ll face
Graduate employers use different kinds of interviews at different stages of the recruitment process. Telephone interviews often used at an early stage to check candidates meet the basic requirements and to filter out those who aren’t serious about the job. Technical interviews on the other hand are designed to allow candidates to show off specialist knowledge. Many organisations use competence-based interviews, in which you’ll be asked to match your skills to those needed for the role, eg communication skills, problem solving and teamwork. Panel interviews – in which candidates are interviewed by several people such as HR staff and department managers – are also common at graduate level.
Top tip: If the recruiter hasn’t already told you what kind of interview you’ll be having, it’s fine to contact them to find out. Once you’ve established who will be interviewing you’ll be able to prepare for the kinds of questions and scenarios you could experience during the interview.
2. Research the employer again
You’ll already have investigated the organisation and the role when you wrote your CV or application. However, some fresh research will remind you what attracted you to the job in the first place. Look on the organisation’s website for details of recent work or clients that interest you and think about how you could contribute to what the employer does.
3. Think about yourself
Recruiters will want to know what unique skills you can bring to the role, so think through your work experience and the skills and interests you’ve developed at university. Work through your achievements and activities (such as work for university societies, interests and hobbies, internships or work placements, voluntary work or casual work) and make notes on the skills you learned and how you used them, and also what you contributed to different situations.
Top tip: Review your CV or application form: think of how you can expand on any examples and skills and consider some alternative examples.
4. Prepare yourself
Interviewers will expect you to show a keen interest in their organisation, so use the research you’ve already done to think up at least three questions to ask about the employer and three questions about the job itself. You can write these down to take into the interview as a reminder.
Make sure you’ve checked out our sector-specific advice to find out what recruiters in different industries expect you to know and head to the Forum to see if other TARGETjobs users have any tips about the organisation or industry.
If you still have access to your unversity's careers service, see if you can book a mock interview or practice any tests that might be part of the interview day – many offer these services or can provide DVDs and books about making the most of yourself at interview. If you've been asked to give a presentation, get your thoughts together on the topic and give yourself enough time to brush up on your presentations skills.
5. Plan your day
Good first impressions count for a lot, so planning your day in fine detail will help you relax and shows employers that you are organised and committed. Make sure you know how you should dress, plan how to get to your interview and book your travel tickets, charge your mobile phone and leave yourself time to read through your application again carefully. Print out a fresh copy of your CV or make a new copy of your application form to take with you.
6. Be in control of the interview
It’s natural to be nervous in an interview, but if you know that you are prone to particular fear-induced reactions that could jeopardise your chances, you need to think about these before the day and find a way to overcome them the best you can. When you are in the interview, remember that it’s fine to pause before responding to questions to gather your thoughts, and if you’re unsure about a question it’s also fine to ask for clarification.
Top tip: Use your CV or application as a prompt if you dry up: take a copy into the interview and use it to choose good examples of your skills.
7. Stay professional to the end
Although it can be tempting to run screaming from a bad interview or skip joyously from a good one, recruiters will expect to you to be professional throughout the time you're meeting with them, including after you’ve left the interview itself. If you’re shown around the office or have the chance to chat with trainees or other members of staff, remember that their feedback may count towards the organisation’s overall evaluation of you, so don’t say or do anything that you wouldn’t in a formal interview situation.
8. Learn from the experience
Spend some time afterwards thinking through your interview experience and making some notes for yourself before moving on. This will help you prepare for the next stage of the process and get ready for interviews with other graduate employers. Feedback from interviews can be invaluable and most recruiters are happy to provide it.
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