We all know how daunting interviews can be, especially when they're face to face interviews, which is why we wanted to put together a short guide on how to ace this step to get you to the next stepping stone in the process. 🚀
Well, as one can imagine, the Face 2 Face interview process is carried out in person, meaning that you will need to prepare yourself to a good standard to avoid any possible mistakes, as well as making yourself look presentable. First impression always count and they certainly leave a lasting imprint in the mind of the person you've just met, so you must make sure to look presentable, be confident (or at least fake it... until you make it!) and most importantly be prepared.
<aside> 🤓 Did you know that interviewees who make a good first impression on the interviewer(s) received better scores for the questions they answered in the interview than those who made a poor first impression?
</aside>
<aside> 🤓 It is thought that the first 20 seconds (!!!), i.e. from the moment you enter the room and walk across to your chair in an interview - can determine the outcome of the entire interview!? (I know crazy right!?!)
</aside>
Study conducted by Georgia Institute of Technology and University of Toledo
→ Research the company you are going to interview for! ****If they have an app - download it! If they sell a product or service familiarise yourself with it, so you go into the interview fully prepared for any questioning around this topic. Understanding the company you are interviewing for gives you major kudos points and will set you apart from those who don't.
→ Understand the job description and link/relate past achievements to certain criteria. ****Having a good in-depth understanding of the Job Description is crucial as it allows you to pluck out areas that you want to show-off about yourself. For example, in the soft/hard skills section you can choose 3 to focus on in order to give clear examples of when you used them.
→ You want to make sure you're fully prepared for any question that comes your way, so have a think about some responses for the classic interview questions. It can be easy to get caught up in all the technical stuff and completely forget about the most standard questions that might be asked in an interview. For example, your strengths and weaknesses, where you see yourself in X years and why you think you are the right person for the role.
→ Practice, practice, PRACTICE! After you completed all of your research and you've decided what information to sprinkle into your interview, it's good to make an outline of what you want to mention and how you want to word it. A great way of doing this is by practicing answers to possible questions, so when you're in the interview your mind doesn't go blank when asked a simple question. Practicing your answers also give you an opportunity to get your body language right too! Did you know that face2face communication is less than 35% verbal? You don't want to be slouching, but you don't want to look or come across overly cocky... It is best to practice in front of a mirror or by recording yourself on camera!
→ Understand the formality of the company. ****This links to the first point; if you've done your research correctly you'll know exactly how to present yourself and how to be in the interview. If you're going to interview at a cool start-up, ditch the shirt and tie! On the flip side, if you're about to interview for a more corporate company, you should look the part! Moral of the story, "read the room" or I guess it's more like "do your research and tailor presentability to the type of business it is". However, this doesn't mean that you shouldn't make an effort, NO! You 100% should, you just need to make sure it's appropriate.
→ Make a list of questions to ask the interviewer. You've reached the end of the interview and they ask "have you got any questions for us?". YES. This is your time to shine even more and come at them with the prepared, intelligent and thought out questions. Asking questions at the end on an interview is super important and should always be done! However, don't jump straight in with questions around pay rate or perks - these are important questions, but you want to show you're interested in the company, rather than just the benefits. That's not to say don't ask them; these questions are best placed towards the end, for example, if the employer asks if there is anything else you'd like to know more about. This will show great initiative and will suggest to the employer you were listening and engrossed in the conversation! Here are some examples: