Your first interview can be nerve-racking, whether it’s for work experience at your local pharmacy or a place on a prestigious graduate scheme with a leading City law firm. It’s important to arrive prepared to give you the best chance of success. Even if you don’t get the job, every interview is a learning experience for other interviews in the future.
Don’t let your first job interview leave you lost for words.
Questions to prepare for
There are a few questions that many interviewers ask and if not prepared can stump people up. Additionally, interviewers often ask you to share past experiences where you have demonstrated different skills. Common skills asked about are teamwork, time management and problem-solving. It is good to take some time to think of moments from school or extracurricular activities that exhibit those skills. Here are some common questions asked:
Can you tell me about yourself?
This is a chance to give a summary of who you are and show a bit of your personality to engage your interviewer. Start by briefly sharing some personal information, followed by any past education or work experiences. Then, finish off by talking about your future career aspirations. You want to keep it short and only speak about bits that are relevant to your job role.
Why do you want to work at our company?
This question is usually asked to gauge your interest in the role and company. This gives you a chance to convince the interviewer that you would be the perfect fit in the company, while also complimenting and displaying your knowledge of the company. It is good to apply for companies you admire because it comes off as more genuine.
Do you have any questions?
Make the effort to prepare a few questions to ask your interviewer to show your interest in getting the job. Also, it makes the interview more of a conversation which will create a lasting impression
Some questions you could ask:
- What would be my day-to-day responsibilities?
- What do you enjoy most about working here?
- What goals do you have for the next 5 years? (This could be the interviewer’s career goals or the company’s future goals)
- What is the work culture like?
Research
As well as being prepared for specific questions to come up, you should always research the company and job role you are applying for. A Glassdoor survey found that 88% of UK hiring managers consider a well-prepared interviewee a quality hire. Key points to research are the company’s values and mission. From this, you can wow your interviewer with your knowledge and incorporate their values when talking about yourself to show how great of a fit you would be for the job. Take a quick look into any recent news surrounding the company; maybe they have recently opened a new concept store or introduced an innovative feature on their website.
Dress Code
Unless notified differently, you should always dress smartly to show your respect for the company and are keen to get the job. It doesn’t have to be anything too fancy, a nice top and bottom with some clean shoes. As long as you look put together, it shows you made an effort.
Interview Behaviour
Along with a tidy appearance, you must behave politely. Keep an open and friendly manner to show you’re eager and engaged in the interview. Put your phone away in your bag and thank your interviewer at the end. Most importantly: be on time! If you have to travel to a different city for your interview, book an early train to avoid stress if there are delays. It’s much better to spend half an hour reviewing the company website with a cup of coffee than arriving late and being turned away for wasting their time.
Online Interviews
Since the pandemic, many companies now conduct interviews online. There is not much difference except you sit in your house instead of an office. The main thing to consider is location: be in a room with a sensible background, good lighting and strong wi-fi. A plain background is favourable if not possible, most video call sites have an option to blur your background.
Group Interviews
Furthermore, you may have a group interview. Group interviews can differ but usually, you are given activities either individually or as a small group to complete which you will then share with the rest of the group. Since you may not have a one-on-one conversation with the interviewer, it is important to make sure your voice is heard to leave a lasting impression.
Next Steps
Once you complete your interview, don’t forget to thank your interviewer and ask when you can expect to hear back from them. If you don’t hear back after a few days, email or phone the company to re-thank them for the interview and ask if they have made a decision. Even if they have chosen not to hire you, you can ask for feedback to improve for next time.
Prepare well and follow our tips, and you’ll leave your interview feeling like this.
If you are looking for ways to boost your CV now in preparation for your first job application, why not book onto our Work Experience Abroad programme? It’s a fantastic way to gain transferable skills, improve your fluency in a foreign language, and boost your career prospects. For more information, head to our YouTube for our explainer videos and FAQs.
