Interview Tips: How to Stand Out & Get the Job

Recruiters typically invite 3-5 candidates to interview for a vacancy. While landing an interview with your employer of choice is a great first step in your job search, it won’t have an impact on your career unless you convert it to a job offer. Interview preparation can make or break your job search, so we have compiled a list of best practice tips that can be applied under any circumstances.

We suggest breaking down interview preparation chronologically, as it can make the process more structured, easier to understand, and faster to master. Without further due, here are the key topics we will discuss in this article:

Before the Interview

Understanding the job

If we had to select one key ingredient for interview success, this would be relevancy. From your experience to your achievements, to your skill set, some elements will be more important for your target job than others. While most applicants check a job description to prepare for an upcoming interview, we suggest you go above and beyond through a deeper job description analysis.

Start by breaking down the job summary and any information on the broader team and business to get a sense of its purpose. Then, focus on the Duties & Responsibilities and the Requirements sections of the vacancy. Keep in mind that the most important employer needs are usually the first ones listed.

Then, reflect on your experience, expertise, and achievements to identify the most relevant ones. Use these as a basis to start crafting your candidate profile at a conceptual level.

Learning about the company

While most candidates scroll through an employer’s career section before interviewing with them, only a few take the time to dive deeper, get a better understanding of the organisation, and tailor their delivery accordingly. When it comes to job interviews, cutting corners is a recipe for disaster, so we recommend putting in the effort to impress decision-makers and outshine the competition.

Start by going through the employer’s website, focusing on their About section, where they outline their mission, vision, and values. Then, move to their products or services to understand their offerings. Materials on the Investors Relations page are another great way to get a deeper understanding of a business.

Once you are done with the website, it’s time to broaden your research using a search engine. Look for recent news, such as an IPO, an important merger or acquisition or the employer penetrating a new market or geography. Don’t forget to listen to some interviews with their executives if this is an option.

Also, you can search for a company on Glassdoor, exploring their jobs, salaries, reviews, and interview experiences. The reviews and interview experience sections feature comments from current/previous employees and candidates who have been a part of the hiring process. These can help you make decisions about applying to the organization and preparing for interviews.

Last but not least, try to connect with a current or ex-employee. Speaking with an insider can give you invaluable intelligence on how the employer operates.

Once you complete your research, bring it together with your candidate profile and make sure you build your candidate persona in a way that resonates with the decision-makers.
Related: What to Research Before Any Job Interview

Exploring the industry

If you are looking for an industry change, it is imperative that you build a solid understanding of your target industry. However, even if you already have industry experience, make sure you are up to date with the latest trends. Industry publications can be an excellent source of information along with content from thought leaders on platforms like LinkedIn or Twitter. However, the best way to gather information would be to connect with industry experts directly if this is an option.

Preparing your content

After finishing your job, employer, and industry research, you are ready to start preparing your answers. We suggest starting by covering common interview questions followed by employer-specific questions, which you can find on Glassdoor. Here is a sample of interview questions to look out for:

Also, we advise you to understand what questions are considered illegal during an interview. While this is something that depends on local legislation, typically any question around age, gender, religion, sex or ethnicity must not be asked by employers or used for their decision-making during the hiring process. Any such questions are a red flag for candidates and we suggest politely declining to answer them.
Finally, don’t forget to come up with some relevant questions to ask the interviewers, as this is your opportunity to shine.

During the Interview

Planning the logistics

Logistics can be important to ensure you arrive on time without getting stressed. If you are unaware of the place, we suggest visiting the venue on the previous day to choose the most time-efficient mode of transport. If your interview is virtual, familiarise yourself with the software the day before and connect to your video call 5 minutes before the interview time. Also, sense-check the technicalities, such as your laptop, mic, camera, and connection in advance.

Dressing for success

Selecting the right attire for an interview goes a long way. As a rule of thumb, we suggest dressing in line with the company culture and the industry standards. If unsure, dress one step more formally than the employer’s workforce. Note that attire is equally important in face-to-face and virtual interviews.

Delivering the content

Apart from having designed, rehearsed, and memorised your answers, make sure you focus on delivery too. Using frameworks, such as STAR (situation, task, action, result), is an excellent way to remember all important points and structure your delivery in an easy-to-understand way. Also, make sure you maintain a steady pace, take breaks strategically and keep each answer within 2 minutes.

Mastering non-verbal cues

It’s not only what you say, but also how you say it. From your tone of voice to your body language, non-verbal cues can make a real difference in your job interviews. Here are a few tips to keep in mind:

Asking the right questions

After the end of the interview, it is customary for interviewers to ask candidates whether they have any questions. We suggest selecting 3 relevant questions reflecting different elements, e.g. the interviewer, the job, and the company. Make sure you ask for their contact details, too, so that you can follow up.

After the Interview

Sending a thank-you note

We suggest following up with your interviewer on the interview day via email. This will enable you to keep the communications open, enhance your relationship with the employer further, and stand out from other candidates. Thank them for their time, let them know you enjoyed the interview, and reiterate your interest in the role - they will appreciate it.

Adding value to the interviewers

While any thank-you note is appreciated, one that adds value will definitely brand you as the applicant who goes the extra mile. Start by identifying an area where you can help the hiring manager based on your interview conversation.

A great way for doing this in practice is thinking about what challenges they are facing. Then, add some relevant thoughts to your thank you note. To be clear, we would never recommend doing free work, but sharing some high-level recommendations can be an excellent idea.

Following up

Candidates often ask when they should follow up to check the progress of their application. As a rule of thumb, we suggest following up 7 days after the interview. Alternatively, you can ask the interviewers when to expect to hear from them and then follow up on the next day.