Need a successful Job Interview? The secret is Interview Preparation

Need a successful job interview? The secret is interview preparation.

A major part of our success strategy is ensuring that anyone going for a job interview through Wynne Consulting is prepared as much as possible.

Unusually it’s rare that the absolute best candidate gets the job, it’s usually the candidate that delivers the best interview who is subsequently recruited.

Interview preparation is absolutely key. Our template to success is as follows:

Come across enthusiastic and keen on the job & company from the first minute
Always adopt the mindset that you genuinely want the job – so that you present yourself well. We have had lots of instances over the years of individuals approaching an interview in a “luke-warm” way, then realise towards the end of the interview that the job is much more interesting than they first realized. The problem is – the interviewer is underwhelmed by their performance as they didn’t seem overly interesting in the first part of the interview. Don’t make this mistake.
Demonstrate relevant technical/product/market experience – have examples
Prep on website/company – make reference to your research whilst in the interview
Know sales targets & have examples of projects won – recalling contact names, project £ etc.
Smart & Professional at all times
If relevant – Engineer a question about your biggest weakness – so you can address it there and then (not ideal location? lack of market experience? etc…) and try and overcome it!
Ask deliberately probing questions. Good questions to ask are:

1. If I work for your company, what are the most difficult things I will have to contend with?
2. What’s your biggest strength and weakness as a business.
3. What gives you the advantage over your 2 biggest competitors in the marketplace?

Read the employers website and research useful and relevant information using www.google.co.uk . Also use tools such as LinkedIn to research the interviewers’ background & identify any common ground (i.e. you used to work for the same company a few years ago, you’ve got friends/colleagues that they will know, etc). Personal connections are a great way to build rapport at an interview.
Review your C.V and ensure it makes sense. Questions will be asked about it.
Figure out what you’re best at and put it into a single sentence to use at interview to describe yourself.
If people who have never met you before know what you can do then it makes it a lot easier.
Expect technical related questions if you are from a technical background
If you have worked in a project based environment try and take along some examples of your work or pictures of equipment or projects you have been involved in. Pictures are much more descriptive than words and allow interviewers to understand you better
Make sure you know where you are going and who you are meeting – we will send you details of this separately and arrive at least 10 minutes early.
Ensure you are dressed smartly to help create the vital first impression. Always wear a suit, shirt & tie.
Try not to answer questions in a negative way. Always try and be positive.
Speak clearly and give eye contact wherever possible.
If moving between industries highlight common transferable skills, teamwork / communication / interpersonal skills / leadership.
Deep, slow, deliberate breathing calms things down if you get tense. Use it if you are nervous to calm things down.
Always have 2 questions prepared relative to the post / training / responsibility / career prospective. If you have genuinely have nothing to ask then say “All of my questions have been answered.” At the end of the interview this is the opportunity to mention your strengths which may have been passed by in the interview or what you could bring to the company.