How to make your interview preparation count

When it comes to job interviews, it really does pay to prepare. And according to recent research from Totaljobs, 38% of employers agreed that candidates are more prepared than they were 5 years ago, with 1 in 3 spending over three hours prepping for an interview.

If you want to make the most of your interview prep, here’s our advice:

Do your research

And be able to demonstrate it. Spend some time reviewing the job specification along with the company website, latest news and marketing material. Not only will you be able to answer any questions regarding the role and the company, it’ll also help you mould some of your own. If the role would involve relocation, it also pays to research the area and prepare any questions you may have.

Understand the company culture

One thing interviewers will be looking for is whether you will be a good culture fit. And it’s equally important for you to decide if it’ll be a good fit for you. So how can you get to know the company culture before you’ve even stepped through the front door? Utilise social media such as LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram (do they have active company pages and regular hashtags they use?) and read employee reviews on sites such as Glassdoor and Indeed.

Be ready for the tough questions

According to Glassdoor, there are 15 questions you should be preparing for ahead of your interview. Whilst some of these are fairly standard, such as ‘tell me about yourself?’ and ‘where do you see yourself in 5 years’ time?’, there are a few that could leave the most confident of candidates stumped.

This includes looking back on challenging situations and conflicts (and how you dealt with them) and what you expect from your team – and manager. Spend a little time thinking about the questions that may arise and how you are going to answer them, providing clear examples along with facts and figures if appropriate.

Prepare your own questions

Don’t forget about the infamous, ‘do you have any questions for us?’. It’s a great opportunity to find out more about what matters most to you in a role. Make sure you have some pre-prepared questions and make a note of anything that comes up in the interview if you’d like to dig a little deeper. If you’re not sure what to ask, here’s our advice.

If you have an upcoming interview we will work with you to ensure you’re fully prepared and have everything you need. To find out more, contact the team or register with Quanta today.