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Tips on How to Prepare for a Job Interview

Got an upcoming interview? Being well prepared for an interview enhances your chances of scoring a second interview or a job offer. Spending some time preparing for your job interview can help you exude confidence on the day and communicate more naturally, creating a great first impression.


Kingston Human Capital is one of the leading recruitment agencies in Australia.  In this article, we share some tips on how to prepare for a job interview.

 

The basics of preparing for a job interview

Before we get into the nitty-gritty of how to prepare for a job interview, here are the objectives of the process in a nutshell:

 

    1. Learn more about the hiring company and the position on offer.
    2. Have well-thought-out answers to frequently asked interview questions.
    3. Understand how (and when) to best showcase your skills, attributes and experience.
    4. Think of what kind of questions you might like to ask the interviewer about the company or role.

Ideally, you should begin your preparations soon after you receive an invitation for an interview.

 

How to prepare for a job interview

 

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There are several steps involved in ensuring you're ready to impress the hiring manager during an interview. If you're a job seeker with a job interview on the horizon, the below list can help assist you with your preparations:

 

1. Review the role


A good starting point is to review the job description for the vacant position. This is especially important if you're applying for multiple jobs, as it helps you focus on the role at hand and its specific requirements. Reviewing the job description will remind you what stood out to you about the position, what enticed you to apply and why you think you'd make a great fit.

 

Take some notes about the specifics of the role. These notes can help you throughout the preparation process. Some good things to make note of can include:

 

  • The duties of the role
  • The role requirements
  • The hiring company's preferences
  • Questions you may have about the job description

 

2. Get to know the company


Hiring managers are likely to be impressed by a candidate who shows interest in their company and has taken the time to get to know a bit about the business. An essential step of preparing for an interview is gaining a comprehensive understanding of the company that you may end up working for. Doing this research can help you get a feel for the company, their culture and their goals.

 

There are several ways to obtain this information about a hiring company, including:

 

  • Their website
  • Social media channels
  • Reviews
  • News and press releases

 

Develop a good overview of the products and/or services they offer so that you can discuss them with confidence. Identify any shared interests you may have with the company and make a note of them. For example, the company could donate to a charity of meaning to you or sponsor a sporting team you're a fan of. It's a good idea to communicate these shared interests during your job interview to show you're well-aligned with the company.

 

3. Prepare answers to frequently asked interview questions


To give yourself the edge over other potential candidates, planning some answers for common interview questions is key. Of course, no two job interviews are the same. However, some questions prove to be popular amongst hiring managers. Often, the following questions come up in a job interview:

 

  • Tell me a bit about yourself?
  • What attracted you to this role?
  • What is your biggest weakness?
  • What is your greatest strength?
  • Can you describe a time you had to deal with a difficult situation at work and what you did to resolve it?
  • Why do you think you are a good fit for this organisation?
  • What are your salary expectations?

 

Planning some answers to questions like the ones mentioned above has several benefits. It allows you to answer the questions professionally. It also gives you a chance to hand-pick the experience, skills and personality attribute of yours that you'd like to showcase to the interviewer.

 

We recommend that while preparing your answers, you have a go saying them out loud!

 

4. Think of questions to ask the interviewer


There's a good chance that at the end of an interview, you're going to be asked, "do you have any questions?". And it pays to have some. Asking questions at the end of your interview highlights your interest in being a good fit for the role and the company. So, spend some time thinking of some things you may like to know about the role. These can include, for example:

 

  • Is there anything more you can tell me about the role that wasn't listed in the job description?
  • Why has this role become available?
  • What is your favourite part about working here?
  • Can you describe what a day in this role would typically look like?
  • What are the opportunities for growth and development in this role?

 

Now is a good time to take another look at the notes you wrote in step 1 to see if there are any questions you jotted down that you can add to your list.

 

5. Practice your interview questions with a friend


Having completed the previous steps, you're now ready to begin practising for your interview. Doing this with a friend works well. You can provide them with the job description so they can put together some questions to ask you.

 

Aim to make the practice interview as realistic as possible, customising it to suit the type of interview you have coming up. This could include:

 

  • Face to face
  • Over the phone
  • Over a video call

 

6. Plan what to wear


You must be professionally presented at a job interview. Planning how you're going to dress for your interview, ahead of time, can help you achieve this. The type of outfit you should wear depends on the kind of job you are being interviewed for. If it's a high-end, corporate role, consider a suit. For most other roles, casual business attire is recommended.

 

Trying on a few outfits and getting the opinions of friends and family can help you feel confident in your choice of outfit on the day. The last thing to do once settling on an outfit is ensuring it's freshly cleaned and ironed for the big day.

 

Benefits of preparing for an interview

Job interviews can be intimidating, especially if you are not feeling well-prepared. However, now that you are aware of how to prepare for a job interview, you can look forward to experiencing the following benefits:

 

  • Less pre-interview stress and anxiety
  • Boosted confidence
  • More natural flowing communication
  • The chance to showcase your talents in a well-structured way

 

If you're planning for an upcoming interview, be sure to check out our other job seeker tips!

 

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