Menu
Job Interview Tips From a Corporate Interviewer by Stephen Craine

Do you want job interview tips that tell you what an employer is looking for when they interview job candidates? Imagine the advantage you would have if you knew how the interviewer wanted you to present your attributes and experience. You could communicate with confidence because you would know how to prepare for the job interviews, what to say, and how to present what you can offer a potential employer.

I've been interviewing job candidates, and managing recruitment and assessment, days for over 20 years. I'm not going to waste your time with the obvious. You will know what to wear, and that appearance is important. These job interview tips are based on the things you probably don't know. The things that stand out to interviewers, like me, but candidates aren't aware of them. Here you are getting inside information from the other side of the interview desk.

1. Prepare for an interview that could change your life

What I don't want to see in an interview is a candidate struggling to answer basic questions that they should have expected and prepared for. You will not know the exact wording of the interview questions you will be asked. But you can predict 90 percent of the topics the questions will be about. Study the job description and other information you have about the vacancy. Prepare how you will present your evidence that shows you can meet the requirements of the role.

Match your skills and experience to those in the job description. Choose strong examples that prove your experience and capability for each of the key job requirements. Put yourself in the interviewers position. If you were asking the interview questions, what would they be? Note the questions and then select your best answers.

2. Take a breath before you answer

You're nervous, you want to appear eager to get the job, and you're focused on the interviewer and their questions. The interviewer asks you a question and you blurt out the first answer you think of almost before the interviewer has finished the question. I see this happen regularly in the interviews I hold. As soon as I have finished the question the candidate instantly replies.

Take a breath and allow at least tree seconds to pass before you answer. Use the time to consider if you're presenting the best possible answer to the interviewer. The interviewer will see you considering the question and putting thought into the answer. You will be perceived as confident and in control. This job interview tip will have a big positive impact on the image you project at interview.

3. Choose one good example to present

When the interviewer asks you a question that is best answered by an example of your previous experience, choose one good example to present. Too often I ask a question and the candidate gives me a weak example with little detail. As they are doing this they think of another example and present it. In an attempt to present as much quantity as possible, they then tell me about all their experiences related to the question. The result is a list of examples and experience with no real detail on how the candidate can fulfill the competencies related to the question.

Choose your one best example of your experience, and present it in detail and with confidence. Structure your answer to communicate, in easy to follow steps, how you have successfully gained the experience the interviewer is looking for. In most cases the interviewer will be making notes on the interview and recalling the details later when making their decision. Make it easy for them. Present one good piece of evidence slowly and clearly.

4. Let them finish the question

The interview is important to you and you want to make the best impression. There may be a time limit on the interview and you want to cram in lots of good information about you. But no matter how pressurised you feel there is one thing you must not do; never interrupt or cut short the interviewer. Let them finish speaking.

I've seen usually calm and well mannered people turn into speed freaks at interview. They hear the first half of a sentence or interview question and assume the rest of it. Then they launch into presenting their reply. It reminds me of contestants on quiz shows that are racing against the clock to answer questions.

Take this interview advice. The interviewer is assessing your capabilities using the answers you give to their interview questions. They are also assessing you, and how you will fit in as an employee. If you interrupt, talk over them, or cut them short in mid-sentence, they could see you as rude, arrogant, or lacking in respect for others.

5. Stand out from the other candidates

The decision on which candidate gets the job is usually made some time after the interview. After a full day of interviewing, candidates can start to blur into one another. The interviewer then depends on the notes they have made and how those notes help them recall the candidate. Make sure they can remember you. Leave something with the interviewer that will make it easy for them to recall you, and your interview.

A good example of this would be a carefully prepared folder containing your information. I recently interviewed a young woman for a sales vacancy. As we discussed her achievements and sales track record, she passed me an information file bound in a folder. It contained her C.V. and contact details. A brief summary of her achievements. Copies of letters from customers praising her customer service skills. Copies of her pay slips supporting her sales track record with commission payments, and on the front was a small photograph of her. This was a fantastic way of helping me to remember her, and her interview. It also showed me how organized she was, and left me with a very positive impression of her as a candidate that stood out from the rest.

The job interview tips can help you prepare for that life echanging interview. Investing time and resources into your interview preparation will give you a great advantage over other candidates and improve your chances of getting the job you want.


For more help and tips from an experienced interviewer visit [sales-training-sales-tips.com redirected] and get expert advice on winning job interviews. You will find valuable information on presenting your experience and attributes to a potential employer.

More Finding a Job Information:
• How to Become a Camp Ground Host
• Creating and Self-Marketing Yourself to Find a Job During Tough Times
• How to Write an Entry Level Resume
• Interviewing the Interviewer - Five Questions to Ask
• Making the Most of Your References
• How to Write a Resume - Objective vs. Summary Statements
• Are Headhunters calling you... or ignoring you?
• Employment Interviewing - The Winning Strategy!
• The Behavioral Interview - What You Can Expect
• How to Get a Job