How to make a good first impression – make it count!

Depending on your experience and qualifications, and how you come across in your CV, you may be invited to an interview.

Interviews are a way in which an employer can determine the type of person you are, and whether you are right for the particular job.

Some employers have assessment centres, instead of interviews. This again allows them to see whether your characteristics and knowledge is right for the job.

The interview is the main factor in a job application which gets you the job, as it tells them who you really are.

The employers want to know whether your enthusiastic and whether you have the essential characteristics which will allow you to be successful in your position.

Although interviews are important for potential employees, they are just as important for employers – as it is an important decision which has to to made, they want to employ someone who will fit in and benefit their company or business, as it will allow them to succeed also

A lot of organisations use a scoring techniques which allocates scores based upon specification criteria and how you may answer a question or a scenario.

During your interview you have to prove to your potential employers:

• that you understand the potential role which you are applying for, and the requirements it entails.
• that you have knowledge and future possibilities on the company or business, and demonstrate this in a clear way.
• that you are suited to the potential role, how are you more suited to it than someone else.
• that you will be enthusiastic and accept the challenges which come with the role.

It is essential to prepare for an interview, not just for the interview but how to get there and ensuring that you arrive on time, this will give a good first impression.

There will be many different questions which interviewers will ask:

• top and tail questions – these are for you to give a good first impression as they are asking about you, it also allows you to end on a good impression.
• job technical questions – these are for you to demonstrate what you know about the particular company or business and why you want to work for them.
• competency questions – these allow them to get an idea of how you may fit into the role based upon your knowledge or experience.
• situational questions – these allows them to understand how you would handle a particular situation.

Although interviews may be scary and nerve wracking, they offer essential experience.

Even if your first graduate job interview may not be great, there will be others and the first one will act as a practice and offer experience for future interviews.

The knowledge from this talk has prepared me for potential future interviews, I didn’t know what is expected at an interview and what to prepare for, and this talk has gave me some important insight to allow me to be successful.