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Got an interview coming up? Good work, but you’re not done yet - now comes the prep.
push's 90 second guide:
interview techniques
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Push guest speaker Ben - who took a different route to getting a degree (via his job) gives his professional insight into interviews (from having conducted a lot himself at a huge global firm).
He focuses on the techniques young people should stick to, in order to maximise the time with the interviewer... Ben is dyslexic, failed his first year of 6th form, yet now heads up the man-management team at one of the World's biggest construction firms - and his job role is all about identifying and embracing the individuality of each employee, to work together and benefit the wider company aims. |
before the interview
When does an interview start?
Richard Branson says he knows if he wants to employ someone within the first 30 seconds of meeting them. And, neuroscience tells us that the brain starts to makes ideas about a person within the first 7-30 seconds. In other words, first impressions really count.
They start long before the interview room. It could start as early as when they email or call to tell you that they'd like to meet you. They're testing you at every step – how do you come across when picking up the phone and chatting to a stranger? Do you make spelling mistakes or use bad grammar when responding to emails? Can you follow all the instructions expressed in the email (where you need to meet, at what time, what you might need to bring)?
Arrival at reception/the meeting point
Most places will make you sign in and/or show ID. It might be a good idea to print out the interview request email, or have it ready on your phone. Ensure you know the name of who’s asked you in for an interview, and the name of the company, so you’re not caught out at reception.
Why is this so important? Well, some companies ask the receptionist, after all of the interviews, who made the best impression on them. That includes the way you dress, the way you compose yourself, how friendly and polite you are, how prepared you seem for the interview, and crucially, the time you arrive.
Our tip? Get there 10-20 minutes early. You can always sit, relax, breathe, go to the bathroom, review the questions you think they'll ask and rehearse your responses to them. Who knows, the receptionist could be glancing at you the whole time, and relay your behaviour back to the interviewers later.
The walk to the interview room
Is someone accompanying you? If so, are they one of the interviewers? If they’re asking you questions, even casual questions like "how was your trip here? Have you had a good week?", they've already begun to assess you.
How? Well, they're looking at your soft skills – how well you can talk to people (interpersonal skills), how you cope under pressure (they know you'll be nervous), and communication skills (expressing how you got there, how you've been).
It might even be a chance to ask them some questions too. A casual chat before getting into the proper questions will ease your nerves, stretch your brain muscles, and make the interviewer feel a little more human.
Richard Branson says he knows if he wants to employ someone within the first 30 seconds of meeting them. And, neuroscience tells us that the brain starts to makes ideas about a person within the first 7-30 seconds. In other words, first impressions really count.
They start long before the interview room. It could start as early as when they email or call to tell you that they'd like to meet you. They're testing you at every step – how do you come across when picking up the phone and chatting to a stranger? Do you make spelling mistakes or use bad grammar when responding to emails? Can you follow all the instructions expressed in the email (where you need to meet, at what time, what you might need to bring)?
Arrival at reception/the meeting point
Most places will make you sign in and/or show ID. It might be a good idea to print out the interview request email, or have it ready on your phone. Ensure you know the name of who’s asked you in for an interview, and the name of the company, so you’re not caught out at reception.
Why is this so important? Well, some companies ask the receptionist, after all of the interviews, who made the best impression on them. That includes the way you dress, the way you compose yourself, how friendly and polite you are, how prepared you seem for the interview, and crucially, the time you arrive.
Our tip? Get there 10-20 minutes early. You can always sit, relax, breathe, go to the bathroom, review the questions you think they'll ask and rehearse your responses to them. Who knows, the receptionist could be glancing at you the whole time, and relay your behaviour back to the interviewers later.
The walk to the interview room
Is someone accompanying you? If so, are they one of the interviewers? If they’re asking you questions, even casual questions like "how was your trip here? Have you had a good week?", they've already begun to assess you.
How? Well, they're looking at your soft skills – how well you can talk to people (interpersonal skills), how you cope under pressure (they know you'll be nervous), and communication skills (expressing how you got there, how you've been).
It might even be a chance to ask them some questions too. A casual chat before getting into the proper questions will ease your nerves, stretch your brain muscles, and make the interviewer feel a little more human.
PUSH'S 90 SECOND GUIDEs:
How to Ace an Interview
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Professional actor & Push presenter Stephen Bradley gives his top tips on how to stay calm in job/uni interviews, and help your personality come across. He draws on his experiences of auditions to offer some great snippets of advice.
5 tips for the interview itself
- Posture: body language is key. Every pose gives out certain subliminal messages – sitting up straight shows you're interested and focused, whereas slouching and 'manspreading' your legs shows you're way too relaxed and nonplussed by being there. Crossed arms show you're blocked off and creating a barrier, and so does leaning too far forward and having your head to the floor.
Don’t be too worried about the exact position of your body and your every move, but do be aware of the vibes you may be giving off.
Another good thing to practice is eye contact. Yes, we know gazing into another human’s deep blues is a bit scary at first, but with practice it gets easier. You can work on this beforehand – run the interview with a friend, a parent, a teacher or even by visiting employers through trips your school may organise to help develop these techniques. Maybe try filming yourself, so you can see how your talking speed, body language and tone of voice comes across. - Breath: there’s a simple relaxation technique we recommend: inhale slowly through your nose for 5, hold for 5, exhale slowly through your mouth for 5. This will feel like forever at first, and for the interview we’d suggest trimming down to 1-2-3 in, hold, 1-2-3 out.
It doesn't have to be uber-Om or spiritually-Zen. Don't close your eyes while doing it in the interview room, because they'll think you're falling asleep or heading into a trance.
Use the 1-2-3 before answering any question. Interview time is precious, but it’ll amount to less than 60 seconds overall, and will mean you use the rest of your time more effectively as you’re more relaxed to answer the questions properly.
When you inhale, your body relaxes and more oxygen gets tor your brain, meaning your focus improves and answer recall is quicker and of higher quality. - Listen: a simple way to show you're listening is to repeat the question back to start your answer. For example, if they say "tell us why you feel you'd be suited to this job position", you could respond (after a quick 1-2-3 breath), "I feel I'd be suited to this position because..."
This shows you've heard the question, and it sets you up to stick to the question when answering it. Don’t do it every time though, otherwise the interview will think you’re a parakeet. - Think: it sounds obvious, but if you don't breathe you don't get oxygen to the brain. If you don't get that oxygen, your brain can't focus on what it needs to do, and your thoughts will become muddled. If you've not heard the question properly, or you don't feel you understood it, ask them to repeat it.
It doesn't mean you're stupid, and it doesn't mean you're going to fail the interview. It actually shows you care about answering the question properly, and that’s a good thing.
They might even express the question in a slightly different way, which suddenly makes the penny drop. A quick joker card to pull out (only once) in an interview, for that really difficult question you need more time to mull over: even if you did hear the question right, ask them to repeat it. This will give you another golden 10-20 seconds to form the answer in your head.
Remember, only use it once. If you ask them to repeat every single question, they'll think your mind is elsewhere and your listening skills are lacking. - PVM: pace, variation, movement. This is mainly for when you're on your feet delivering a presentation or performance, but it can be used while sitting in an interview. Maybe you're asked to describe an experience you had, or given a scenario to problem-solve. Use your hands (but don’t go crazy, unless you’re interviewing for a position as a mime) and vary your gestures, facial expressions and voice – the way you say things, the speed you say it.
The human ear gets bored easily when tone and speed stays the same. It might be interesting for 60 seconds, but 5 minutes of the same thing, and the interviewer's brain will focus elsewhere
You can hear yourself as you say things, so just think – if you would be bored hearing this, they will too.
Other vital info
When does an interview finish?
When you leave the building, not the interview room.
Remember what we said about how the receptionist might be watching/assessing you as you arrive? They could be doing the same as you leave the building. They can still see you walking down the street if it’s a big glass entrance, so a hop, skip, jump, and a Gene Kelly pirouette around a lamppost whilst mini-fisting pumping and shouting "come on!" might be visible, and not the best idea when leaving.
Yes, it was pressured, but hold it together and get round the corner and out of view.
An interviewer might also accompany you down to reception, and engage in some more casual chat, so they could also be watching you as you leave the building, and other interviewers could be watching you from an above window.
We're not saying that they'll follow you home and hide in your wardrobe to assess how an ideal candidate sleeps, and you won't notice people watching you through eye-holes in newspapers.
What we’re saying is that you can't underestimate the importance of making an impression, and people judge impressions with their eyes and ears. So know who’s watching and who’s listening.
An interview is about bringing a personality to a CV/application, and getting to know the human being behind the Word document. After all the interviews have finished, if the interviewers think you're just as right for the job as the other nine people who turned up for interviews, the decision could come down to "which personality did we click the most with, and who would fit in best within our existing team?"
Get to the day and feel ill?
Think your sneezing/coughing/drowsiness might come across rude/bored/unfocused or just plain distracting? If so, we'd suggest letting them know when you arrive, in a casual 'drop it in the conversation' way, so they know and can ensure they take that into consideration.
Everyone gets ill, so if you've told them, it shows you're thinking ahead and using initiative (considering how you appear to professionals and what might be distracting) and that will impress them. Also, bring some tissues in with you.
Turn your phone fully OFF
Even the sound of a text can be heard and distracting. If you hear it just as you're forming a response, it could take your focus away enough that you lose your train of thought.
It could do the same to the interviewer; they might lose focus on the words you're saying (which are pretty important, after all). Whoever’s texting you can wait for updates when you've left the building.
And make sure you don't have an alarm set to go off to tell you you've got an interview. Some terrifying phones switch themselves back on for an alarm.
Bring water
You’ll be surprised how dry your mouth can get when you are (a) nervous (b) speaking a lot (c) in a pressured situation. An interviewer usually provides water, because they know it’s needed, for them too sometimes. Don’t assume they have it though, and bring a little bottle of your own.
If you forget, don't be afraid to ask them for some – perhaps when you get to reception. Also, a quick sip of water before answering a difficult question can give you those extra few seconds to think about your response, without just staring into space looking confused.
Why not also visit our university interview page which has lots of related advice.
When you leave the building, not the interview room.
Remember what we said about how the receptionist might be watching/assessing you as you arrive? They could be doing the same as you leave the building. They can still see you walking down the street if it’s a big glass entrance, so a hop, skip, jump, and a Gene Kelly pirouette around a lamppost whilst mini-fisting pumping and shouting "come on!" might be visible, and not the best idea when leaving.
Yes, it was pressured, but hold it together and get round the corner and out of view.
An interviewer might also accompany you down to reception, and engage in some more casual chat, so they could also be watching you as you leave the building, and other interviewers could be watching you from an above window.
We're not saying that they'll follow you home and hide in your wardrobe to assess how an ideal candidate sleeps, and you won't notice people watching you through eye-holes in newspapers.
What we’re saying is that you can't underestimate the importance of making an impression, and people judge impressions with their eyes and ears. So know who’s watching and who’s listening.
An interview is about bringing a personality to a CV/application, and getting to know the human being behind the Word document. After all the interviews have finished, if the interviewers think you're just as right for the job as the other nine people who turned up for interviews, the decision could come down to "which personality did we click the most with, and who would fit in best within our existing team?"
Get to the day and feel ill?
Think your sneezing/coughing/drowsiness might come across rude/bored/unfocused or just plain distracting? If so, we'd suggest letting them know when you arrive, in a casual 'drop it in the conversation' way, so they know and can ensure they take that into consideration.
Everyone gets ill, so if you've told them, it shows you're thinking ahead and using initiative (considering how you appear to professionals and what might be distracting) and that will impress them. Also, bring some tissues in with you.
Turn your phone fully OFF
Even the sound of a text can be heard and distracting. If you hear it just as you're forming a response, it could take your focus away enough that you lose your train of thought.
It could do the same to the interviewer; they might lose focus on the words you're saying (which are pretty important, after all). Whoever’s texting you can wait for updates when you've left the building.
And make sure you don't have an alarm set to go off to tell you you've got an interview. Some terrifying phones switch themselves back on for an alarm.
Bring water
You’ll be surprised how dry your mouth can get when you are (a) nervous (b) speaking a lot (c) in a pressured situation. An interviewer usually provides water, because they know it’s needed, for them too sometimes. Don’t assume they have it though, and bring a little bottle of your own.
If you forget, don't be afraid to ask them for some – perhaps when you get to reception. Also, a quick sip of water before answering a difficult question can give you those extra few seconds to think about your response, without just staring into space looking confused.
Why not also visit our university interview page which has lots of related advice.
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