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22 Top Tips to Help You Make a Great Impression at Your Next Interview

Over the past 22 years, we have helped over 14,000 great people to find their dream job. We’ve learned a lot about what employers are looking for when they interview candidates.

Here are our 22 top tips to help you make the best impression at your next interview.

1. Research the company and industry

Knowledge of the company and industry will impress an interviewer.  It will also provide you with information to prepare one or two insightful questions beyond what the pay rate is. Showing genuine interest makes a real difference.

2. Prepare for common interview questions.

Every “how to interview” book has a list of a hundred or more “common interview questions”.  So how do you prepare – even for the dreaded “Where do you see yourself in 5 years” Think about which questions you’re most likely to encounter given your background and the job you are applying for.  Then prepare your answers so you won’t have to fumble for them during the actual interview.

3. Anticipate the interviewer’s concerns and reservations.

There are always more candidates for jobs than there are positions available.  Interviewers look for ways to screen people out that don’t immediately match their expectations.  Put yourself in their shoes and ask yourself why they might not want to recruit you (“I don’t have this,” “I’m not that,” etc.).  Then prepare your response: “I know you may be thinking that I might not be the best fit for this position because [their reservation]. But you should know that [reason the interviewer shouldn’t be overly concerned].”

4. Clarify your “selling points” and the reasons you want the job.

Prepare to go into every interview with four or five key selling points in mind, such as what makes you the best person for the position.  Have an example of each selling point and be prepared to tell the interviewer why you want that job, including what interests you about it and what abilities it requires that you possess.  If an interviewer doesn’t think you’re really interested in the job, they won’t give you an offer.

5. Prepare questions for the interviewer.

Go to the interview with some intelligent and insightful questions for the interviewer that demonstrate your knowledge of the company.  Interviewers always ask if you have any questions, and no matter what, you should have one or two ready.

6. Practice out loud.

It’s one thing to come prepared with a mental answer to a question like, “Why should we hire you?” It’s another thing to say it out loud in a confident and convincing way.  The first time you try it, you’ll sound garbled and confused, no matter how clear your thoughts are in your own mind!  Like the best presenters – do it another 10 times, and you’ll sound a lot smoother and more articulate.

7. Be on time!

It should go without saying, but it is never acceptable to be late to an interview.  This is such a common standard that some employers will refuse to interview a candidate if they are late. Sadly, some candidates still fail to realise that there is a basic requirement to be on time.

8. Make the right impression in the first five minutes.

Some studies indicate that interviewers make up their minds about candidates in the first five minutes of the interview – and then spend the rest of the interview looking for things to confirm that decision.  So what can you do in those five minutes?  Go in with energy and enthusiasm, and express your appreciation for the interviewer’s time.  Remember they may be seeing a lot of other candidates that day and some will have sapped their energy.  Be the one to brighten up their day!

9. Be assertive and take responsibility for the interview.

Perhaps out of an effort to be polite, some usually assertive candidates become overly reserved during job interviews.  Being polite doesn’t mean you have to be reserved or passive. An interview is like any other conversation – it’s a dance in which you and a partner move together, both responding to the other.  Don’t make the mistake of just sitting there waiting for the interviewer to ask you about how impressive you are.  It’s your responsibility to make sure they walk away knowing your key selling points.

10. Make your selling points clear.

Don’t bury your selling points in long-winded stories.  Instead, tell the interviewer what your selling point is first, then give an example.

11. Be on the same side as the interviewer.

Some interviewers see job interviews as adversarial.  Your job is to transform a potential “tug of war” into a relationship in which you’re both on the same side.  Look at things from their point of view and make it clear you understand how important it is that they find the right person.

12. Think and behave positively.

No one likes a whinger, so don’t dwell on negative experiences during an interview.  Even if the interviewer asks you point blank, “What did you like least about that previous job?” don’t answer the question as it’s been asked.  Instead, say something like “I liked my previous job quite a bit, although now I know that I really want to make a career change”

13. End on a positive note.

Let the interviewer know that you’d really, really like the job, that you were excited about it before the interview, that you are even more enthusiastic now and that you’re convinced you’d like to work there.  If there are two equally good candidates at the end of the search – you and someone else – the interviewer will think you’re more likely to accept the offer, and thus may be more inclined to make an offer to you.

14. Take a copy of your CV to every interview.

Have a copy of your CV with you when you go to every interview.  If the interviewer has misplaced their copy, you’ll save a lot of time (and embarrassment on the interviewer’s part) if you can just pull your extra copy out and hand it over.

15. Make the most of the “Tell me about yourself” question.

Many interviewers begin interviews with this question. So how should you respond?

As well as an ice breaker, this question is a way for the interviewer to gain some insight into your personality.  They also want to determine your fit for the job and the organisation.  The interviewer doesn’t want to know everything about you – your answer needs to be a careful balance between declaring too much and making them wonder why you aren’t being more open with your answer.  The interviewer wants to know that you have the sort of well-rounded personality and outlook that will fit well with their culture.  Your research should, of course, include finding out about the culture of the organisation that you are hoping to join.

16. Don’t worry about sounding over-rehearsed.

Some people are concerned that if they rehearse their answers, they’ll sound overly polished or glib during the interview.  Don’t worry. If you’re well prepared, you’ll sound smooth and articulate, not “canned”.

17. Speak the right body language.

Dress appropriately, make eye contact, give a firm handshake, have good posture, speak clearly and be well groomed.

18. Be ready for “competence-based” interviews”.

One of the most common interview styles today is to ask people to describe experiences they have had that demonstrate behaviours and competencies that the company thinks are important for a particular position. You might be asked to talk about a time when you made an unpopular decision, displayed a high level of persistence, or made a decision under time pressure and with limited information, for example.

Step one is to anticipate the behaviours the recruitment manager is likely to be looking for.

Step two is to identify at least one example of when you demonstrated each behaviour.

Step three is to prepare a story for each example.

19. Send thank-you notes.

Write a thank-you note after every interview. Type each note on paper or send them by email, depending on the interviewers’ preferences. Customize your notes by referring specifically to what you and the interviewer discussed. Handwritten notes might be better if you’re thanking a personal contact for helping you in your job search.  Whatever method you choose, notes should be sent within 48 hours of the interview.

To write a good thank-you note, take time after each interview to jot down a few things about what the interviewer said.

20. Don’t give up!

If you’ve had a bad interview for a job that you truly think would be a great fit for you don’t give up! Maintaining a high level of motivation throughout your job search will mean the difference between securing a job sooner rather than later.  Staying positive and motivated are the best qualities to keep you going and it will be worth it once you come to start your first day in your new job!

21. What do employers really want?

We’ve spent time with recruiting managers, HR directors, CEO’s and business owners.  We’ve recruited for short term temporary contracts, part time admin roles to senior management position. When it comes to the people organisations want to hire, the story tends to be the same.  All employers want the same things.  They all want the ‘best’ candidates to apply, they all want to attract ‘great’ people.  Good people shouldn’t be hard to find but you might be surprised how rare it is for candidates to see things from the employers point of view.

Check out this blog to remind yourself about seeing things from your potential employers point of view.

22. Make sure you keep the First Base interview checklist to hand!

If you’d like to know more about how the team at First Base can help you with your next career move call 01453 755330 or email tricia.hay@first-base.co.uk

Attending a careers fair over Summer? Make sure you follow up

Going along to a careers fair can be a great way to meet and get introduced to businesses and recruiters that may be able to help in your job search. They just give you a job, right ?

Wrong. Having ran and taken part in many events over the past 22 years I can count on two hands the number of people that made a (really good) lasting impression.

While career fairs serve up great introductions to companies, recruiters, and career paths you may choose to follow, it’s still up to you to create the right first impression which could take you closer to landing that dream job.

Whether you’re looking for your first job, to change career or develop your network in your current role, being prepared and asking the right questions is key.

Make sure you take along your cv and or/business cards and show genuine interest in the people in attendance.  You cannot learn about a business or engage with someone that may be able to help you if you don’t fully engage with them. I see so many people who are brazen about continuing to look around the room for more interesting people – whilst still in conversation ! …….and we all know those who rush in, survey the room, barge in to conversations, take a call and rush out.

Put some real time aside and be present. Make eye contact and ask questions. Ask what the business does, what their ambitions for the future are or who their competitors are. No one expects you know all of this.. but they will appreciate your wanting to learn.

Then, follow up.

After the event, take time to connect with people online and to drop them a quick note to say thank you for their time.

So what do you say to make yourself memorable? Use these super easy tips to craft a perfect career fair follow up email.

Open your message in a courteous and professional manner: For example “Dear… “ or “Hi… “ If you felt you got on particularly well with your new contact. You don’t want to sound flippant or too casual by using “Hey….” Or “Yo….” (Is that old hat?)

At this stage you are trying to impress and show you have taken on advice or gained some really useful insight into what they do and how they could help you. If in doubt, it’s always better to err on the side of formality. “Dear Ms./Mrs/Mr…..”.

Be professional and keep it simple.

Try this template to follow up with anyone you’d like to show interest in and remember that you should follow up quickly. It’ll take a little time for recruiters to go through their email when they get back from an event but make sure you’re top of mind and in their in box waiting for them (send a follow up within 24 hours). I promise this set you apart from a high percentage of attendees who just went along for the freebies.

“Dear Mr/Ms/Mrs Green” / “Hi Lucy”

“Thank you so much for your time at [name of event, and location] this morning/this afternoon/yesterday/last week”.

“I was really interested to hear more about the work you do/marketing/sales/your new product [make it personal where you can] and would highly appreciate it if you’d think of me when you’re next looking to recruit/meet with candidates/hold an open day” [again, make this relevant to the conversation you had on the day].

“I’d love to stay in touch and would be really interested in talking more about the opportunities you have/may have on offer in the future”.

Thank you again for your time.

Kind regards/Yours sincerely

Tricia Hay

Keep it light and remind them that you were present and interested.

No need for war and peace here. Keep it simple and to the point (recruiters whether internal or external have very busy in boxes). Thank the recruiter for their time and express an interest in keeping in contact with them. As a final tip, don’t forget to attach your cv if you didn’t give them a copy at the career fair.

If you’d like further help in putting a follow up together, please feel free to contact my team and I at enquiries@first-base.co.uk

What do employers want?

We have worked with clients ranging from SME’s to Partnerships, Global Corporations, Charities and the Public Sector.

We’ve spent time with recruiting managers, HR directors, CEO’s and business owners. We’ve recruited for short term temporary contracts, part time admin roles to senior management position. When it comes to the people organisations want to hire, the story tends to be the same. All employers want the same things. They all want the ‘best’ candidates to apply, they all want to attract ‘great’ people. Good people shouldn’t be hard to find but you might be surprised how rare it is for candidates to see things from the employers point of view.

Initiative

You see this in job specifications all the time – we want people who can use their initiative.

It’s reasonable to expect some good induction and training when you’re new.  That doesn’t mean you can’t be considering early on how you can do things a bit better, do a bit of creative problem solving or deal with unusual situations on your own initiative. Don’t overdo it and take care about going beyond your authority, however, most employers would love to have people turn up the initiative dial a bit.

Ownership

Employers and managers are looking for people with a can-do attitude, who can be relied on to get the job done. They want people who will take ownership of their work. In all sectors, managers are busy and have conflicting multiple priorities to deal with. Having employees they can trust is really important.

If you want to stand out, make sure you can demonstrate that you take ownership of a job and that you are the one who gets things done.

Communication  

Another thing you’ll see on most job specs is the requirement for good communications skills.  It’s not just about speaking clearly or good grammar – it’s about communicating appropriately for the situation. Understanding which communication channel is the right one for the situation is increasingly important in a technological, social media-driven world.

Energy

Most people want to come to work to be energised by the people around them. Managers avoid negative people because they know that over time it drains everyone around them and it reflects poorly on their company brand.  Don’t be the person who people avoid!

The fundamentals

Turn up on time, be courteous, say ‘thank you’ and ‘please’. Don’t be a moaner, present yourself well, respect colleagues, be trustworthy and be authentic. Everybody can spot a colleague who goes a bit overboard with initiative, ownership, communication and energy!

If you’d like to know more about how the team at First Base can help you with your next career move call 01453 755330 or email tricia.hay@first-base.co.uk

 

Why good candidates turn down your job offer

The UK’s unemployment rate edged lower to 3.9% in first quarter of 2019. The employment rate hit a record high – and it is creating issues for employers seeking to recruit good people.

We have experienced some great companies having their job offers turned down by exceptional candidates in recent months. Good candidates are getting multiple job offers and we notice more and more are being given a counter offer when they announce to their current employer that they are leaving.

So why are some companies struggling to recruit?

  1. The role is not well defined

There is an increased need to properly and accurately describe the actual role you are recruiting for to candidates. Outline the role as it really is today or you risk losing a new recruit in the first few months. Don’t just highlight the best parts of the job or how it might look in the future – and don’t hire for part time when what you really have is a full time job. A new recruit hired part time being pressured to work extra hours isn’t a great motivator.

  1. Offering the right rate for the job

It’s a job seekers market right now and failing to offer at least the market rate is unlikely to attract the best candidates.

  1. Providing personal development opportunities

Every good candidate wants to know what opportunities there are for development. Failing to provide a personal development and progression plan is a big switch off for many good people.

  1. Company values

There is a whole new generation of talent who want to be paid well for a job well done AND to know that their personal values are aligned with those of their employer. Social issues and community awareness are high on their agenda.

  1. Making time for recruitment

At First Base we can help and support organisations to save time and money, Never the less, there remains a requirement for the right amount of time and attention to be allocated internally to ensure interviews are effective and that candidates get the best impression.

  1. A long recruitment process

Being decisive is becoming really important. Some organisations simply take too long to make a recruitment decision and then lose the candidate to a more switched on company.

  1. Health and wellbeing

It’s would be difficult to miss how big this is right now. Organisations need to be serious about wellbeing at work, not just because it is expected but because it is the right thing to do. The more an organisation shows it really cares, the more attractive it is an employer.

  1. Knowing what’s great about you as an organisation to work for

Every job and every company has things that are great about them.  In order to stand out from other potential employer’s, an organisation needs to know who they are trying to attract and what will motivated them to want to work with them.

We work closely with our clients to make sure they are in the best position to recruit. Working with hundreds of top employer has given us a lot of experience about what attracts (or turns off) good people. If you would like to know more about we can help you to find the right people call 01453 755330 or email tricia.hay@first-base.co.uk

 

 

 

 

 

Writing a personal profile for your CV

A candidate recently asked whether she should write an introductory paragraph or personal profile at the beginning of her CV. Great question we thought, so here’s our view.

Whilst a cover letter tailored to the specific job you are applying for will do a lot of the talking for you, a short well written personal profile really helps your chances of standing out. A personal profile is a short paragraph that sits at the top of your CV. Its aim is to effectively and concisely sum up who you are and your skills and strengths relevant to the job role and career aims.  It is similar to a cover letter; the main difference is you will be selling yourself (the main purpose of your CV) in four or five sentences rather than a full page. A good personal profile added to your CV will grab the recruiter’s attention.

And grabbing the recruiter’s attention is vital. Many roles are in competitive fields and can attract dozens if not hundreds of CV’s – and that means you need to provide a short sharp reason for them to read on beyond the first few lines. You risk a recruiter flicking past your CV unless they spot reasons to put you forward pretty quickly. Help your recruiter to help you!

Your profile provides an ideal way to grab the recruiter’s attention and continue reading your CV because you are telling them in the first few sentences why they should consider hiring you. A personal profile can be useful if you are uploading your CV to a job board such as CV-Library. It provides you with an opportunity to outline your career objectives and can help put your CV into context. It also helps recruiters to match you with the right job for you and gives them some direction as to what sort of working culture would be the right fit for you.

A profile is best included when you are fairly sure what type of job you want or where your skills suit specific sectors. If you aren’t sure then consider leaving it out. A profile that is too broad risks giving the impression you haven’t done your research or that any type of employment will do. Not the best impression to give

Structuring a personal profile

The most important thing to remember is that your statements should around four or five sentences – between 50 and 200 words. Some people like to write in the first person (I am, my skills include…) or the third person (Sales professional seeking, skills include…). It really doesn’t matter as long as you are consistent with your grammatical style.

We suggest dividing your personal profile paragraph into three sections.

If you’re writing a more general personal profile, be sure you include key achievements that make you stand out. For example, if you’re looking for a position within graphic design and you’ve got extensive Photoshop experience working on a major campaign, not only can you claim you have these skills in your personal statement, but you can back them up as well.

Leave out the buzz words

You may well be a highly motivated team player with excellent communications skills and extensive administration experience but these buzz words don’t really provide any evidence (and a recruiters will have read the same words a thousand times).

Try to highlight real, relevant skills and back them up with evidence to make your personal profile strong.

Do

Don’t

Employers and candidates tell us that First Base is their first choice for help with their recruitment requirements and their personal career progression. If you would like to know more about how the First Base team could help you, contact us on 01453 755330 or email tricia.hay@first-base.co.uk

To upload your CV follow this link!