Job Interviews

The job interview is one of the most important stages in gaining employment.

On this page:

Interview specifics
Questions to ask before an interview
How to prepare for an interview
At the interview
Speaking English

Interview specifics

An interview is your opportunity to convince the employer that you are the right person for the job. Having reached the interview stage shows that you have met key selection requirements already, so take confidence from this and prepare to extend the employer's knowledge of your skills, experience and qualities.

In interviews, employers want to gain an understanding of why you have applied for the position, your level of interest, how well you could fit into their organisation's culture and the contributions you may be able to make.

Interviews can be face-to-face meetings, or be held over the phone or by video conference. They can be very informal (held over a cup of coffee in a café) or formal (sometimes a multi-staged process with set questions and/or involving more than one person representing the employer).

The interviewer will usually tell you about the position and you should be given the chance to ask questions about the job. Interviews can involve a specific approach such as behaviour-based interviewing or take a more general approach to finding out about your work experience and personality.

Behaviour-based interviewing is a widely used technique. Interviewers aim to work out how you have behaved in a range of work situations. Typically you are given a situation that existed or task that had to be performed. You then describe the specific action that you took and why, and the results or consequences of the action. The interviewer wants to understand what really happened. Avoid vague, hypothetical or incomplete answers, as they will not meet the interviewer's needs. This is quite a challenging interview technique and requires practice.

Questions to ask before an interview

When you are invited to attend an interview, it's important to make sure that you understand:

• when and where the interview will be
• who will be interviewing
• whether you need to prepare anything or bring anything to the interview
• whether the employer is interviewing other applicants.

How to prepare for an interview

In preparing to attend a job interview, you should:

• research the organisation by consulting websites, annual reports and other company publications
• look at the organisation's competitors and know why they are different, or at least why they think they are different
• research the job - including finding out whether there is a position description or job specification that will help you prepare for the interview
• think about what specific skills, experience or qualities the job might require and what questions the employer might ask to find out whether you have the skills, experience and qualities they are seeking
• re-read the job advertisement and your resume
• complete a pre-interview worksheet
• review and practise talking about your education choices and achievements, your strengths and weaknesses, and your work experience - identify key examples of achievements that you want to promote and how they are relevant to the job you are applying for
• practise responses to common interview questions and have friends or family help you with trial interviews
• make a list of any questions you'd like to ask
• have extra copies of your qualifications or certificates, to leave with the interviewer if they want them.

At the interview

On the day of the interview, remember to:

• listen carefully to what the interviewer asks or tells you
• speak clearly and concisely, to make sure you're getting your message across
• show you have prepared for the interview by referring to your research on the job and the company
• promote yourself and your skills and qualities
• ask relevant questions
• ask for clarification of a question if you don not understand it
• make sure you know what happens next; whether there is another interview or when you can expect a decision

Speaking English

It is important that candidates speak clearly in English at interviews. Before the interview, test yourself with native English speakers and seek feedback. See Improving Language Skills.