Interview Skills

Kelly Jesus

Job interviews are inevitable. In order to excel in one, you have to demonstrate that you are different from other candidates.

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Three members of student staff sitting around a table. It looks as if one is answering questions posed by the other two. There are brightly coloured lockers in the background.

Job interviews are inevitable. In order to excel in one, you have to demonstrate that you are different from other candidates. For this reason, it is very important to stand out. Companies are looking for people that relate to their vision, understand their industry and align with their long-term plans.

Demonstrating that you are the ideal candidate requires the ability to do the following:

Prepare

Listen actively

Show engagement

Prepare

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Depending on who is conducting your job interview, it can range from anything like a conversation to what feels like a test. You will not always be able to predict the atmosphere of the interview but you can often expect an evaluation of the following:

Your interests

Your strengths and weaknesses

Your understanding of the company

Your career aspirations

These typical topics should tell you something: that the person conducting your interviews wants to evaluate your confidence, your priorities and your thinking.

When answering these questions, ensure that you relate your answers back to skills that are useful in the role.

This is where preparation comes in. The extent of your preparation will determine how you come across. Start by reading the job description, this will tell you what kind of person the company is looking for.

Then, begin drafting your answers to the common topics above. Your responses should be honest. For instance, if you understand nothing about the company, take steps to broaden your understanding. This might mean that you have to research: their website, how big they are, what they offer and any recent developments. Keep your notes brief to avoid falling into the trap of simply memorising, which can make you look robotic.

Listen actively

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Active listening is the ability to understand precisely what is being asked of you in a manner which is attentive. Active listening is crucial because it demonstrates that you are a responsive communicator. In your interview, this may look like asking someone to repeat a question if it genuinely did not make sense to you.

There are several ways to demonstrate active listening. Being fully present, maintaining good eye contact, asking open-ended questions and paraphrasing what has been said back to the speaker are some of the ways to listen actively.

You may be unsure of what inactive listening looks like. An example of inactive listening is listening to respond rather than listening to understand what is being said. When someone is waiting for the other person to finish talking just so they can say their piece, this shows that they are not listening. If you are a candidate who has gone into an interview with the goal of saying everything you have rehearsed without engaging in conversation, the person conducting the interview will pick up on this. Another subtle way in which you can be an inactive listener is by constantly offering advice.

Show engagement

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The person conducting the interview does not need you to pretend that you are stoked about being scrutinised for 30 minutes, they know that interviews are nerve wracking, what they do expect is that you want to be there. This where demonstrating engagement comes in.

The subtle things which the person conducting the interview will be looking at to try to assess your interest can include anything from whether you arrived on time to how you are sitting. These factors are often missed because we all think that the point of an interview is to pass a ‘test’.

To show engagement, you should first know your audience. If you received any indication as to who the person conducting your interview is, you may want to tailor your responses accordingly. Are they your future manager? A senior in the company? What sort of things would a person in their position expect you to know? Would it matter to them whether you have a good sense of humour because they will be working with you every day or should you focus on something else?

It is also important that you maintain a positive response to the interview. Looking on the bright side will make you the ideal candidate because it shows that you are ready to take on the company’s mission.

Contributing to the conversation rather than allowing the person conducting the interview to tell you everything about the company is another way to let your eagerness come through.