Interview Tips to Help you Succeed

Interviews are a part of life, and they give the employer the chance to see what you are capable of, and what you can offer them. It’s extremely important to learn and develop your interview skills to help with this. Though it can be a daunting task, it is also a brilliant way for you to be proud and showcase your skills, experiences, projects and everything you’ve done throughout your education.

This is your chance to shine, and we’ve provided a few tips to ensure that you can express the best version of yourself.

Five Commonly Asked Interview Questions

It’s vital to be as prepared as you can be before your interview. Many jobs and employers ask 5 standard questions that you can prepare in advance for.

1. Tell me about yourself.

This is a question that allows you to highlight the most interesting and unique parts of who you are and what you have accomplished in your life. You can talk about your degree, previous jobs and any relevant interests.

University is a brilliant place to learn, make mistakes and collaborate with different kinds of people. If you are fresh out of university and have little to no work experience outside of your degree, don’t be afraid to showcase all that you accomplished and learned throughout university, and relate it to the job role if possible.

2. What are your strengths and weaknesses?

Some may find this a tricky question to answer. Employers want to see your self-evaluation skills. We all have weaknesses that are balanced with our strengths. When you do mention weaknesses, turn the negative into a positive, and express how you proactively work to improve your weaknesses and grow.

For example, if you struggle with organisation, highlight what coping mechanisms you have put in place to help you stay on top of things. Do you make lists, leave extra reminders for yourself or organise in a particular way so that you do not lose things? This is a great way to positively show your weaknesses and how you manage them.

When it comes to your strengths, don’t be shy. Speak honestly about what things you do well and are proud of. Employers love seeing the passion and excitement for life.

3. Why should we hire you?

This is your chance to show your value and what you could bring to the role and business. How can you help their business succeed and what skills are they in need of that you could provide? It’s important that you know your worth; don’t forget that you have a unique set of skills and have experienced different things from anyone else. Have confidence in this and don’t sell yourself short. It’s also a good idea to keep role requirements in mind and highlight the skills and strengths that best match you with the job description.

4. What do you know about the company?

This question can stump anyone. Try to avoid being caught off guard by researching businesses before your interviews. Many people go in for interviews without researching, but knowing about the company will set you apart from others and can help you stand out amongst other applicants.

Try to find out the core business competitors and write down some interesting facts that you can share in the interview. Additionally, conducting your research will give you more insight into whether you want to work there in the first place.

5. Do you have any questions?

Before your interview, try to gather and prepare at least three questions in advance. By asking questions you will show the employer that you are interested in the position. Additionally, asking questions allows you to learn what you need to know about the business and the employer, to develop a better feel for who they are and whether you’d be comfortable working there. This is your chance to grill the interviewer, so do not be afraid to ask away and be confident with your questions.

Body Language

Now that we have the questions out of the way, let’s talk about body language. Employers don’t just want perfectly worded answers. Your physicality and the way you present yourself is also extremely important and will contribute to the employer’s impression of you. You only have one shot to make a good impression, so make it count. Here a few things to look out for:

1. Be attentive.
2. Sit upright.
3. Eye contact.

Throughout your interview, it’s important that your employer feels that you are interested in. Posture and physicality are good ways to communicate that you are invested in the discussion, and can also show that you are assertive and confident in your answers.

Be mindful of your body language and catching yourself if you suddenly are slouching or getting distracted. It is a good idea to practice in a mirror or even film yourself so that you have a bit of a reference of how you naturally sit and what things you need to work on.

Another important factor is eye contact. It can feel quite intense when you are looking at the interviewer for a long time, but it is so important to keep your eye contact in check. If your eyes are wandering away while the interviewer is speaking, you could seem disinterested. When you are answering questions, lack of eye contact can communicate a lack of confidence and strength.

All of this put together hugely impacts whether the employer gets a positive or negative perception of your character and devotion to the role. Just remember, you have all that it takes to succeed. Don’t be shy in expressing the major assets you can bring to a business and be passionate. With a few tweaks, you can ensure that you make a positive and influential first impression that the employer will not forget.

How can Unihousing Help You?

For many students still at university, looking for accommodation for the new term will be a big priority. Unihousing is here to support you through your search and can help with finding the right accommodation for your needs and budget.

With a wide range of properties including studios, twodios, flats and houses, we are confident that we can find a property that best suits you. We also offer student accommodation for couples and many of our properties come fully furnished, with high-speed 100Mb broadband and utilities included in the rent.

Visit our website at www.unihousing.co or call today to see how we can help.