We know that it's an incredibly challenging time to be faced with the prospect of finding another job. It can be often be highly competitive, with upwards of 100 candidates applying to many roles in Technology. How can you stand out? What positive actions can you take to give yourself the best chance?
Woodrow Mercer Tech has team up with an experienced group of employability experts from the Talent industry who have helped us create an Interview tool kit, to help you succeed at that next interview. The competitive nature of the job search looks set to rise over the next few months and if there's a way of getting an edge, then it must be considered.
There are no hard and fast rules here, these are just opinions of people with many years experience of the hiring process and how candidates are assessed at interview. We hope you enjoy it and can take something from it that will help in your search for work.
TA Talks – Standing out from the Crowd – How to maximise your chances of delivering a successful Interview
Before the interview
Join 5 mins before and check you know how to use the tech (Teams, Zoom, Google Meet)
Try to create and maintain as quite an environment as possible for your interview to be conducted in – it will never be the same as being in an interview room, after all your home is probably the back-drop, but be prepared to have this on camera too!
Your recruiter should arm you with as much information as possible BUT take the preparation into YOUR control. Ask your agent/the company what you should be expecting but don’t just stop there....
Review the website. What are the companies’ key products/services/values?
Google the company. How are they perceived by 3rd parties?
Lookout for information from the senior executives to see how they describe the company
Research the interviewer, looking for possible conversation points AND can you pronounce their name? Ask your agent to help you with that if necessary
Try to show some genuine interest in what they do – download their app/go into their store/looks at their products/research who their customers are
During the interview
Share stories about successes, challenges and obstacles that you have faced in previous positions
Think about why you might want to work for that company before the interview and be prepared to explain this
Review the job spec – how you would perform each requirement? Simple bullet points and try to sneak these into your answers
Talk about IMPACT and RESULTS of work, not just skills and duties. Use action verbs! What value did you add? Talk about tangible results
Rapport building is harder but not impossible. Use the names of the people in the interview during your responses. This helps them to remain engaged and shows your listening well
Set expectations – ‘what do you expect me to achieve in the first 6 months’?
Where possible, leave the conversation of money to a separate conversation, or to your agent.
The follow up
Confirm your interest at the end of the interview and with a specific reason why
A personalised thank you note, either sent via your agent or directly, can show that you listened well during the interview well and it will help you stick their mind!
Your agent isn’t as emotionally invested in the process, so they can help you by acting as a conduit and tempering your feedback where required
Who do you know? – do any of your connections work for the company you’re applying to? Check!
We hope these nuggets of advice help. Good luck with your next interview!