CV & Job hunting Support > Interview Tips

So you're application has been successful and you have been called for an interview - What next?

Preparation is the key - you need to show yourself in the best possible light and the only way to do that is to prepare! If you practice your interview skills you will feel confident and less nervous.

Types of Interview

There are various types of interviews that you may be required to take part in. The following are the main ones:

• Face-to-face – this is a standard interview in person with usually only 1 or 2 interviewers.
• Telephone – this could be the first stage of an interview process. If the employer has many applications, they may speak to applicants on the telephone first before asking them in for a face-to-face interview.
• Online (Zoom/Teams/Skype) - this could be the first stage of the interview or the only stage, and you should prepare in the same way as for a face-to-face interview.
• Group interview - in a group with other candidates, employers will be looking for you to show teamwork and leadership skills, make sure you put your ideas forward and be respectful of others.
• Panel - where one person usually leads the interview and other panel members take it in turns to ask you different questions

Before the Interview

Whichever type of interview you are required to attend you will need to prepare in the same way.

• Make sure you know about the company you are applying to.  Visit their website and do your research – it doesn’t look good if you don’t know what they do!
• Think about which areas of your CV or application form the interviewer might ask you to talk more about, and how you can relate it to the role you are applying for.
• Prepare and practice some answers* about why you want the job, what your strengths and weaknesses are, and any relevant work or life experience.
• Think of some questions to ask about the role and the company at the end of the interview, but don’t ask about pay yet.
• Try to relax the night before the interview - doing lots of last minute work could make you more anxious and reduce your sleep time.

Interview practice* and using AI

Answering interview questions well has a lot to do with simply practicing.  The more you practice, the better you will get and you'll be surprised at how quickly you can improve if you put in small amounts of regular practice in the run up to your interview.

The National Careers Service has a good starter guide to answering common interview questions that is definitely worth famliarising yourself both before and during your practice sessions.  You can also search the Internet for common interview questions including Artificial Intelligence (AI) services.  Remember to check the website for the company that you're applying to.  Some companies provide specific examples and even guide you on how to answer!

• Try writing or typing out your answers first, taking into account the suggestions.  (You may need to research some of the advert's person requirements / skills or brush up on knowledge you've gained in the past)
• Next, take some time to read and remember the key points of the answers.  If you can, ask a careers advisor to evaluate your responses at this point.  You should also consider asking an AI service like Copilot or ChatGPT to evaluate your answers as well, to see their suggestions.  (More AI tips further down) 
• Now attempt to say the answers out loud and on your own to begin with.  You might find it useful to time the answers to get an idea of how long it takes you get the point across
• Recording what you say on your phone and then playing it back to yourself will help you to check whether you covered most of the points you'd originally written down, as well giving you an idea of how you sound.  (Don't worry, most people hate the sound of their own voice!)
• Consider using AI again at this point.  Give the AI the questions that you have practiced and ask it conduct the interview and evaluate your answers at the end.  You can even give it refences to the company that you're applying for, so that it can contextualise its responses.  For example "Evaluate my answers from the perspective of https://www.safests.com/ as employers. Their vision and mission statements can be found here: https://www.safests.com/company/".  Ideally, use you phone or computer's microphone to answer each question orally, though you can obviously type responses if you need to.  (Just remember to exercise caution if you are including personally identifiable information in your responses - you might want to change names or dates for example, for the purposes of the AI interaction)
• AI can also randomise the questions for you or come up with new ones - testing your ability to think on the spot. (Always bear in mind that AI can make mistakes, so use your judgment and existing knowledge when asking it for advice)
• Finally, try and get in some practice with a person asking you the questions that you have been working on.  They may not be an expert on the job or company you're interested in, but face-to-face experience of answering is invaluable in helping you become fluent and more relaxed in an interview session

>There's a more detailed article on using AI for interview practice here.

What to Wear

• Plan what you’re going to wear the day before the interview
• Find out what the company’s dress code is and wear clothes that suit the company that’s interviewing you
• Don’t wear clothes that you’re uncomfortable in, or shoes that you’ll struggle to walk in
• Don’t wear too much strong perfume or aftershave.

Getting to the Venue

• Check in advance how to get to the interview venue, and how long it’ll take.
• On the interview day make sure you leave plenty of time to get there and aim to arrive a little early.

Getting settled and ready to begin

Just before the interview starts:

• Make sure your phone’s turned off
• Ask for water if you haven’t already been given some
• Don't let your nerves show too much – take deep breaths and try to remember a few nerves are normal

During the interview

• Take your time when thinking of your answer - it’s fine to say you need a moment to think.
• Look alert and attentive, speak clearly and confidently, and don’t swear or use slang.
• Give full answers, don’t just say ‘yes’ or ‘no’.
• Give examples of when you've used the skills they’re asking for
• Make sure you fully understand the questions you’re asked - ask for more explanation if you need to
• Don't lie – the interviewer may see through you and, even if you get the job, your employer can dismiss you if they find out you’ve been dishonest.

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