Your cv has done its job and you’ve going to be interviewed. Now what?
Well, be prepared of course. And this means being mentally, physically, and emotionally prepared. This is true of all of us, but I think women especially need to do that emotional preparation because they tend to experience more FUD (fear, uncertainty and doubt). All three aspects – mental, physical, emotional – are linked, so in this article I give my top practical tips on all of them.
Mental prep
Do your research
Find out what the selection process involves, read up on the organisation and its activities, learn about the role and the key priorities, find out who will be interviewing you and what their interests are.
Bring out the best of you
The interviewers will know from your cv about your education and experience. What they won’t know is what you’ve achieved, your distinctive contribution and your style and approach to your work. And how all of this is relevant to their vacancy. Your aim is to make it as easy as possible for the interviewers to find out about you and make the links to what they are looking for.
Make a list of your achievements, abilities and strengths, with supporting evidence. Have examples ready of specific situations you’ve dealt with that illustrate your competencies. How well do your skills and competencies match what they are looking for? What are the gaps and what would you say if asked about them?
Practice an elevator speech. Be prepared to explain why you want the job and what you’ll bring to it.
Getting there
Check out how to find the location and the public transport or parking facilities. Allow time for any problems en route.
Virtual interview
Make sure you have the correct links, check that your background is suitable, position your self so you can be clearly seen, use a headset to improve sound quality, switch off any distractions.
Physical prep
First impressions
We all have first impressions of other people, and you will want to make a good first impression. Think about what to wear. What’s the usual dress code for the organisation and the role you are applying for? If you decide to wear something new, try it out first to make sure you feel comfortable in it. Will you be walking around a factory or an outside area? What footwear will be appropriate?
Physical energy
Keep your physical energy high by having a good night’s sleep, taking some exercise, eating healthily and avoiding alcohol. Try to manage your diary so that you do not have a packed schedule the day before an interview – you need some downtime to get into the right headspace.
Body language
Behave “as if” you feel confident. Walk tall, make eye contact, lower your shoulders, smile, speak clearly. Breathing low in your abdomen rather than high in your chest will naturally relax you. Be aware of your voice, slow down your speech, and perhaps lower the pitch of your voice to present with more gravitas.
Clear language
Rehearse out loud your answers to some of the questions. Practise using “I” rather than “we” ie “I did…”, “I thought…”, “I wanted to…”. Interviewers want to know what your contribution was, rather than what “we” did.
Emotional prep
Manage your feelings
Do you want to feel relaxed and confident before the interview, or nervous and anxious? It’s natural to feel some anxiety of course, but you can prime yourself for a positive state of mind. Write down three positive things that have happened recently, do something that you enjoy, go for a walk, listen to music, chat to a friend. Remind yourself that you have prepared.
Positive self-talk
Our thoughts influence our emotions. Banish any negative thoughts, (“there will be better candidates than me”, “I haven’t got the skills for this job”), and replace them with positive thoughts (“I’ve got as good a chance as anyone”, “I’ve got the skills and experience they need”). Positive thoughts will make you feel and appear more confident, you will perform better and be more likely to succeed.
Finally, look on being interviewed as a useful opportunity and potentially enjoyable experience. You will meet new people and make new connections – and you never know when you might cross paths with them again!
You’ll find more tips on how to be at your best in difficult situations in my book, How to Get On with Anyone: Even the Difficult Ones. Available in all good bookshops.
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