Source: Catherine Tassano ( LinkedIn )
Congratulations! You have the interview you’ve been so desperate to get. Are the nerves kicking in now? If you have read my last article about Killer Interview Techniques you have nothing to worry about. You have done your research before you even applied for the role. You can already see that there is a good fit for your experience, and opportunities for you to continue to develop within this organisation. But how will you come across at interview?
The simple guide is, be yourself, but the yourself in 1 or 2 career progression phases time. Every potential employer wants to be able to envisage you in front of a client, or representing the business in the public eye. You don’t want to be “the one with the crazy tie” or “the lady with the Dame Edna glasses” after your interview. Forgettable attire, reduces distractions and places the emphasis on you. That goes for aftershave and perfume too!
Different industries have different requirements. A creative role gives you scope for more artistic flair over your attire, but please, keep it professional. Professional Services careers still really do still require that you are suited and booted. In 14 years of recruitment, I have never received feedback about a candidate being too smart. If you are interviewing for a plumbing role and arrive in a suit, to find the others in the waiting room in jeans, don’t be put off. You are demonstrating that you can step up. That you intend your career to go places, and that you’re in control.
So, print out the job description, and your CV. Transfer your research notes if you think you will need them, into a typed and printed document, and ensure that you have some blank paper and a pen to make further notes. Practice your route to the interview, ensuring that on the day, you can get there on time. Then, get ready early, leave home early, and if you are more than 15 minutes early, go for a walk, or go and get a cup of tea. (Avoid too much caffeine pre-interview).
