Well done, you’ve got the interview! You’re one step closer to that exciting new career opportunity. The best way to ease those interview nerves is to be as prepared as possible, so we’ve put together our top tips to help you get ready for your interview.

Re-read the interview invitation

• You would have received the invite to the interview via email, make sure you read this carefully, re-read it, and re-read it again. You never know what small detail you might miss. You want to make sure that you’ve paid attention and can follow any simple instructions such as who will be interviewing you, where to park or what to bring with you.

Review the job description again

• This is where the interviewer is clearly highlighting what they need to know from you. So, although they would have read your CV, make sure you reiterate how you qualify for the essential criteria.

Do further research about the company

• Get a sense of who they are and what they’re about from their website and social media.
• You could also do a Google search to see what they appear online for, such as press releases or initiatives that you could talk about during your interview if appropriate.

Check your social media

• Make sure there’s nothing on your social media publicly that shows you in a bit of an awkward or embarrassing situation.
• This also includes Googling yourself. Make sure you know what’s out there in case you need to remove anything.

Practice how you will answer interview questions

• Even if you have had a lot of interview experience, you still want to make sure you have practiced answering interview questions out loud a few days before the interview so that your best answers are fresh in your mind and that you’re feeling confident.
• You could recruit a friend to ask you some typical interview questions. This way you won’t know what to expect and will need to think on your feet, plus you can get some feedback from someone you trust.

Practice what you will do on the day

• Plan what you will do as soon as you get up so that you are prepared to be on time, composed, and ready.
• Make sure you have a decent breakfast so that you’re not hungry later on.
• You don’t want to be flustered during the journey, so make sure you research how you will get there, if you need cash for parking, or which train station you need to change at.

Dress to impress

• You don’t necessarily need to buy a whole new outfit, but you do need to make sure you have a clean, smart, and professional outfit.
• If you’re wearing a suit, you could have it cleaned, pressed, and tailored if you want to look you best.

Understand how to keep yourself calm

• You don’t want your nerves to get the better of you and you’re more likely to be yourself when you’re calm. So, find out what will help you during the morning of the interview to help keep you calm and composed.
• You should also make sure you have a relaxing evening the night before, so you’re well rested and feeling fresh.
• You could try listening to a calming or motivating podcast/YouTube video.
• Have a playlist that you can listen to that will help uplift or calm you.
• It might be that you need to phone a close friend or family member while you’re on the way to the interview to help calm your nerves, so check if they’re available to do this if it would help.
• You might just want to be distracted so you could have a book, audiobook, or puzzle to do.
• And finally, have any notes to hand so you can have a quick glance at them before you go in to give you that final confidence boost.

Make sure you have questions to ask them

• Have something to ask the interviewers to show that you are engaged, eager and interested in the role and company.
• You could ask things such as ‘what does a typical day look like in this role?’, ‘what sort of person do you envisage filling this role?’ or ‘can you tell me about a recent project that you enjoyed working on?’
• If you’re worried about remembering any questions, feel free to make a note of your questions and refer to them if needed. This will only make you seem prepared and organised.

Follow up appropriately

• Once the interview ends, the interviewer should let you know when you should hear from them. If not, it is appropriate to ask.
• If you haven’t heard from them by the date suggested, you could wait another day or so but then send a kindly worded email to ask if they have arrived at a decision.
• No matter what the outcome, be professional. It’s always appropriate to say thank you for their time and consideration for the role.

Good luck!