How to ace that big interview
- writemycv2024
- Jul 30, 2024
- 3 min read
How to ace the big interview
It’s the biggest day of your life and the outcome will define your entire future.
Well, let be honest, it’s unlikely to, but that’s how it feels right now. Butterflies, clammy palms and a heartbeat c. 150bpm. Proper Fight or flight 101.
We are Writemycv, the job seeker’s champion and we exist to help great candidates get into their dream roles. We can help you ace that interview with a few simple hints and tips.
So that the best version of you shows up; calm, prepared and ready to tell your story and get that dream job:
Do your research – company history, glass door, recent news and commentary. Website, customer satisfaction, financial performance. Strategy, key challenges, their board, culture and management team.
Double, treble read the job description and profile of the hiring manager & interviewer – what is their style, what are their hot buttons, where have they worked before, do you have anything in common that you could leverage?
Use Linked in to see if you know someone working at the target company who can tell you what it’s like but also maybe put in a good word for you
Get together some great questions – about the business, the role, them as a person and interesting, open-ended ones like e.g. “how would you describe the culture here” or “what is your preferred way of working with your team in terms of communication?” It shows you care and want the role.
Dress appropriately for the business you are wishing to join – are they super smart or super chilled? Its important you match their norms to relax you
Arrive in plenty of time to compose yourself – no want wants to arrive drenched in sweating, panting and apologising for the train being cancelled! It’s happened to the best of us, but not great to start on the back foot
Match their greeting style both in words, body language and handshake (or not!)
Remember that you have been prepping for this all week and it’s the only thing you are focussing on. Take time to assess their mental state – they may have come from a stressful meeting or be over-running on a deadline. Or are they calm, composed and focussed? Adapt your approach accordingly if they seem flustered. Give them time to compose themselves and ensure they are present.
Listen very carefully to the questions they ask – what are they actually asking you? Be sure to clarify if unsure e.g. “just to be clear, are you looking for me to speak to X or Y?” – it shows you care and want to deliver value
Pause before answering to structure your response and aim to frame this to them this e.g. I think there are 2 or 3 drivers for this which I’ll explain and then give you a couple of examples
Be very specific and use as many examples / data points as you can whilst linking it to your CV e.g. “so as you can probably see, when I was at XY company, I delivered Z over a 6 month period which resulted in £xx
Aim for 90 seconds per answer and speak slower than feels comfortable. We guarantee you will be speaking faster than you think. Allow pauses between topics - it lends gravitas and lets what you are saying sink in and allows the interviewer to make good notes. It’s also a more relaxing way of delivering for you and for them to receive.
Finish your answers occasionally by asking at the end: “does that answer your question?” As this shows you show that you care that you fulfilled their needs. And if they say “sort of / not quite” then it gives you a chance to clarify your point which might turn their evaluation from a cross to a tick
Still with us? We’re really glad you are passionate about improving your interview performance.
We hope you found that useful and be sure to check out other blogs to get you firmly on the road to your dream role. Happy hunting!
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