My top 5 tips for a successful interview may sound incredibly basic but time and time again we see the same mistakes. So avoid these common pitfalls and you’ll already be a step ahead.
- Plan ahead
Know where you’re going and allow plenty of time to get there. You may well not have been to the particular area before so won’t know how long the journey will take, where you need to park and so on. If it’s within a feasible commute why not do a trial run so you’re fully prepared on the day. If you are going to be late at least make sure you have the interviewer’s details with you so you’re able to call and let them know in advance. If your lateness is genuinely unavoidable the interviewer will understand and be grateful for the advance warning as they may need to reschedule. Just remember leave plenty of time and plan to be there early.
- Fail to plan, plan to fail
Once you’ve made it to the interview make sure you are prepared to talk about what you know about the company and the role. Even if it’s a small company you should still find a wealth of information online so swot up and impress the interviewer with your research. We understand you may be interviewing with a number of different companies but we want to know why you want to work for us and why you would be a great employee in our business.
- Transferable skills
Don’t downplay any of your experience. Now you may have ‘only’ worked in a fast food restaurant or even ‘only’ done a paper round but it’s all valuable experience! Think about the skills you have gained: customer service, teamwork, communication. No matter the experience it’s all about the transferable skills you have picked up so think about this in advance and really sell yourself.
- Structure your answers
Think about how you’re structuring your answer. Make it as full as possible while obviously sticking to the point of the question. The interviewer will want to know the who, what, why, where, when of whatever situation you are being asked to describe. Don’t be tempted to make something up on the spot. As the interviewer digs into the details of the situation you have been asked about you will soon be sussed out. Equally think about what you have put on your CV. If you don’t speak French don’t put down that you can. If the interviewer decides to switch to French half way through you’re going to look a bit silly!
- Ask questions
You should always have some questions for the interviewer. You could prepare these in advance and take them in with you. Focus on things such as progression and company goals. If all you are asking about is holiday allowance and salary details we may question how much you really want the role.
Get these basics right and you’ll be well on your way to achieving the dream job you’ve been working so hard for. And if you think that after browsing our website joining the team at Enterprise could be that dream job then we’d love to hear from you. Take a look at our current graduate management jobs and apply.
