After you’ve submitted an excellent application and been invited to interview, how can you prepare?
- Research the organisation. An applicant who has already had a good look through the organisation’s website and developed a good understanding of mission and values will stand out. As well as demonstrating research skills, it shows commitment to your application and enthusiasm which you will bring to the role.
- Make a list of questions. An interview is an opportunity for you to get to know the organisation and understand what your working day would look like as much as it is a chance for the organisation to meet you. It is perfectly acceptable to bring a notebook with you with some questions you would like to ask about the role and the organisation.
- Find some example interview questions and think about your answers. There are usually some similarities between job interview questions, no matter the role or level, about your strengths, times when you have particularly succeeded or overcome challenges in work or education, and what interests you most about the role. If you get nervous in job interviews, making some notes about key experiences you can talk about may help you prepare.
- Learn about current issues relevant to the role or organisation. This might mean dusting up your skills on a particular software mentioned in the job description, or looking for news articles relevant to the organisation’s work. This will show you have a broad understanding of the context in which you will be working.