Interviews are a key part of the recruitment process and provide an opportunity for both the employer and the applicant to get to know one another. An employer will be looking to determine if your education, experience, values, and personal attributes meet their needs. Meanwhile, the interview provides you with an opportunity to discover if you would like to work for that organisation and to show that you can meet the requirements of the role.
As soon as you accept an interview, it’s important to start preparing for it as early as possible. Read on for some tips and advice to help you to get ready for your next interview.
- Research
Research the employer to obtain as much information as possible including their vision and/or mission statement, values, products and services, structure, and competitors. There are various resources you can use such as the employer’s website, glassdoor.com, Vault’s Career Insider, LinkedIn, and your Alumni Library Online.
- Review
Review the role and job description. You need to be able to discuss the skills and qualities you possess that make you a good candidate for the job. You should also spend time reviewing your background including coursework, academic/research projects, activities, internships, and previous work experience.
- Prepare
Prepare examples of relevant skills and qualities you have that are suitable for the role. Employers are seeking candidates who can communicate effectively, have the ability to work in a team, and possess analytical and problem-solving skills so make sure you have examples that can demonstrate these skills.
- Practice
Practice being interviewed. As part of your Cranfield careers continuation service the Career Development Coaches are able to offer remote coaching on interviews by telephone or Skype appointment. In addition, there is a mock interview module on Symplicity, the Careers Development Services’ bespoke online career management platform.
The module has several pre-set scenarios where you can record yourself answering interview questions; this is vital to discover how you come across visually and from a body language perspective. By combining the Symplicity mock interview module with remote coaching, your interview performance can be assessed as a whole, regardless of where you are located in the world.
- Refine
Use the feedback from your practice interview to refine your delivery and improve your chances of success.
Got an interview?
If you are an alumnus/a looking for mock interview coaching, please email us telling us your requirements and interview timeframe.
Remember, even if you don’t have an interview, you can still access career support and resources on Symplicity.
