Job interviews remain one of life’s anxiety-ridden events. It feels like so much can ride on how a meeting with a potential new employer goes: your dream job, a new house, a new car. Much of the interview advice that’s available on the internet is common sense (show up on time, dress smart, body language, etc.) So, what else could you do to set yourself apart from the rest and get the job?
Read our 3 handy tips below.
1. Take a genuine interest in who is interviewing you
Often, interviewing various candidates all day can be repetitive. If you have the opportunity to do so, take an interest in the person/s interviewing you. Ask them questions about their day or their plans after work. If you know the name of your interviewers, take a quick look at them on LinkedIn if they have a profile to see if you have anything in common that you could use to spark up a conversation. This can also settle any nerves you may have as it’s a good ice breaker.
Taking a genuine interest in your interviewer may just set you out from the crowd and lead to a job offer.
2. Prepare a list of questions
Expanding on the point above, it’s important to prepare a list of questions pre-interview. Interviewers want to know that you are both interested and curious about the job/company. If you think of questions to ask during the interview, even better! Some good questions to prepare in case your mind goes blank during the interview are:
- What are the long term goals of the company?
- How does this job role fit into those goals?
- What opportunities would there be for me to develop my skills?
- What do you like most about your job?
3. Take your CV, notes, a pad, and a pen
It’s perfectly OK to take your CV into an interview. It’s your job history and interviewers don’t expect you to remember everything about what you have previously achieved! You can also take in any notes you have made in preparation for your interview, and take down notes during the interview, too. Just make sure you don’t focus too heavily on them and end up avoiding eye contact with your interviewers, but rather take quick glances every now and then.
Optical Express is the UK’s complete eye care provider and we’re always on the look-out for talented individuals to join our Optometry, Retail and Head Office teams. Search our current vacancies here, or you can contact us at careers@opticalexpress.com