Interviews might feel intimidating, but with the right preparation you can turn what may seem daunting and stressful into something exciting and even fun. Here are 6 suggestions from Answer Digital on how to ace the interview and land the position!

1. Be punctual

Arriving on time shows you are organised and creates a positive first impression... Make sure to plan any travel in advance and aim to arrive 10-15 minutes early. For virtual interviews, make sure your battery is charged and your video conferencing software, e.g. Zoom, is up to date and working correctly. Maybe try a test call with a friend the night before to check everything is working as it should.

2. Do your research

Learning about the company and the people interviewing you is a great way to prepare. For example, the questions you may want to ask an interviewer who has been with a business for 6 months would likely be different to someone who has been there 16 years. Research the company, the people interviewing you, plus recent projects and partnerships.. Additionally, check out LinkedIn and social media platforms to get a better insight, and think in advance about any questions you want to ask, or things you would like more information about.

3. Use the STAR method

The STAR method is a great way to respond to interview questions asking for examples, like questions starting with “Tell us about a time when…” and “Have you ever…”

You can break STAR down into 4 parts. The below example could be for a marketing role where the question was “Tell us about your biggest success”.

Situation - What is the background to what you were asked to do?

“In my previous role I was in charge of marketing. The business decided to stop using printed leaflets and to send email marketing instead.”

Task - What were you asked to do

“I was asked to put together a marketing strategy for our new emails.”

Action - What you did

“I started by thinking about what content we share in our printed leaflets and how to digitise it, and planned a quarterly email schedule of content and topics to keep the audience engaged, then I worked with our design agency to design and send the emails.”

Results - What was the outcome

“Not only did we save £5,000 a month on print costs, but we found the emails were more effective at driving customers back to us and revenue increased by 65%. I was responsible for significant growth and think that is my biggest success.”

4. Don’t be afraid to ask questions

You are interviewing the company just as much as they are interviewing you. Don’t be afraid to ask questions that will help you get to know the company, culture and people. It’s important to get a feel for the business and work you will be doing so that you can decide if the role is right for you, it’s not just about if the employer thinks you are right for the role, you need to think it too.

5. Be yourself

We spend a lot of our lives at work, so it’s crucial to make sure any workplace is the right fit for both you and the company. There is no value in pretending to be someone that you aren’t. Being yourself, honest and genuine with a potential employer is really important so that they, and you, can decide if you’re the right fit.

6. Be confident

Remember, an interview is an opportunity to sell yourself and your skills to a potential employer. Be confident in yourself and your skills. if the company wasn’t interested in learning more about you, they wouldn’t have invited you to interview. Believe in yourself!