Being well prepared for an interview is one of the biggest keys to being successful. You don’t know exactly what will be asked or what type of interview you will have, but ideally you will have a body of content in your mind that you can draw on to ensure your answers are thoughtful and relevant. The trick is being able to remember all of that information.
Using a Mind Map to prepare for your interview will help you to explore every topic in detail and create strong answers for anything the interviewer may throw your way. It will also help you to visualise all the information you are working with, making it easier to remember it all. Follow our simple steps for using the mind mapping technique to answer interview questions and you will definitely be landing your dream job.
Start from the centre:
You need to start by creating the main topic in the centre of your page, which in this case is the job interview. It’s a good idea to circle your mind map topics because it makes everything clearer, which will make it easier to recall in your interview.
Time to branch out:
From the centre point, you need to add the topics you think you should be covering in your interview. These should be simple keywords that trigger natural associations in your mind and spark further ideas.
At this point, you are simply writing down every topic that could come up in your interview, so don’t edit yourself here. One of the best things about a mind map is that it inspires thinking about your topic in new ways.
The topics you should cover in your mind map are:
Research of the Company
First, you’ll need a branch for research on the company that is interviewing you. Create a main branch on your Mind Map for the company and draw radiating child branches to show the key points. Go through the company’s website, recruiting platforms or online forums to find all of the information you should know, which includes:
- The competencies the company look for
- Key players of their organisation
- News and recent events about the employer
- The company’s culture and values
- Their products, clients and services
- The history of the company
You will also need to research the job role, so create a branch for that and list the key competencies and qualifications that are required for the job as well as the responsibilities of that role.
All about you
Talking about your interests allows the interviewer to learn more about you in a slightly more personal way. Hobbies and interests also display your relevant experience and soft skills. Make a branch to explain your interests and what additional key skills you can contribute to the company. After all, these soft skills may be the deciding factor of you getting the job
The sort of interests you might want to include on your branch are:
- Hobbies
- Professional Interests
- Sporting interests
The easiest way to answer these types of questions is to use the STAR technique. Therefore, it would be a good idea to organise your hobbies on your mind map into the STAR technique format.
Questions for the interviewer
The interview is as much an opportunity for you to determine whether the job is right for you as it is for the employer to know what you are about. Having nothing to ask may show a lack of interest and could reflect badly on you. Create a branch for some simple questions to ask the interviewer and pop them on to your mind map. Here are some examples:
- What do you think are the most important qualities for someone to excel in this role?
- What is the typical career path for someone in this role?
- If I’m successful, can you tell me what challenges I might face in my first month?
- What are the next steps in the interview process?
Finally, try to stay calm
The big day has arrived! You are probably nervous, but your Mind Map will ensure you’re well prepared, so there is no need to panic. Make sure you turn up at least 15 minutes before the interview. This will calm your nerves and give you an opportunity to think over some of your answers and review your Mind Map before the meeting. So, relax – you have given yourself the best possible chance to wow the recruiter and nail the interview!
So now you have the tools to ensure you will be brilliant in your next interview, why not make that next one with Enterprise? Check out the great graduate jobs and internships that we have available and apply.
