Pro-Tips for Interviewing

Never had an interview before? Or have you had loads but have not met success? No problem. We have some really useful tips and tricks to get you noticed...and called in for a second interview. Whether you’re really shy and nervous, or very loud and have a habit of saying the wrong thing (kind of like Hagrid from Harry Potter), we can help prepare you for your interview. Interviewing is an art, and we’re going to help you become the next Michelangelo!

First and foremost, you need to research the company you’re interviewing with. Find out what they do, where they’re based and roughly how many employees they have. During the interview, ask a question about the company and where it is heading - employers love when you can see yourself there in the future as the company develops. If working with us, we’ll help you prepare for the interview.

Next, research the role you’re going ahead for. Again, if working with us, we’ll tell you everything about the role, what it requires and how you’re a great match. Have a search for it online and look at the typical job responsibilities and tasks. Make sure you’re confident in these and that you mention it in your interview. Make sure to get a job description and emphasize the key skills they’re looking for. If they’re looking for a PHP website developer, mention your exposure to this and your skill set, not how you enjoy working with Python.

Be honest. Honesty is always the best policy. Play on your strengths, knowledge and qualifications - but don’t put yourself down either. Be honest with how confident you are using certain systems, but bear in mind what they’re looking for. We won’t put you forward for the role if we don’t think you can do it - so have faith in yourself, but don’t fib.

If you’re not a confident speaker to strangers, then practise your speech to family or friends. Speak confidently on the phone as it shows you know what you’re talking about. They’re going to ask you questions about your skills, knowledge and you as a person, so make sure you know what you are going to say. What are your favourite hobbies? What is your favourite coding language? What do you do to wind-down after work? Although you cannot guess what they’re going to ask, you can mitigate disaster by practising answers to key questions.

Why do you want to work for the company? This question is bound to come up, and some may argue money is often the motivator, make sure your response is more exciting! Do you find the line of work interesting? Have you always known of their company or find what they do exciting? Do you want to find someone to develop your skills, or progress your career? If you’re just entering the job market, employers want to know what motivates you and why you have picked THEM to work for.

At IT Graduate Recruitment, we help graduates find their first job in the STEM market. We specialise in analyst, developer and IT Support roles.