Tips For Your Job Interviews

These tips for a job interview will help you in your job search journey – these are tips to show the company and hiring manager that you’re the best person for their job. To help you land your next job, here are job interview tips from the CS Recruitment Team.

What to wear to a job interview

When it comes to a job interview, first impressions count, and being able to dress to impress will go a long way to help secure your dream job. Although it might seem quite natural to put on your best suit, skirt, or dress for the interview as though you already work there, there are more elements to take into consideration. You want to look ready to step into the role you’re seeking.

Being able to answer questions and concentrate during an interview is important, so wear an outfit you feel comfortable in. Be sure to check the weather the night before and have a couple of outfits ready just in case the day looks like it might be hot or cold.

Our tips on how to dress for an interview will help you make a good impression and give you confidence when answering questions.

What women should wear to a job interview

• Clothing: Make sure you wear a professional and clean freshly pressed shirt or blouse without a deep neckline. If you wear a skirt, be sure that the skirt is no shorter than two inches above the knee. Don’t forget to put on tights or stockings under your skirt. Alternatively, wear a pair of trousers.
• Colours: If you’re going for an interview with a very corporate company, more muted tones would be better suited to the formal environment. Black and dark blue are the ideal business colours, grey or brown are also good options. Pair this with a blouse or shirt in white or pastel colours. But don’t combine more than three colours and two patterns.
• Shoes: Open shoes like flip-flops or sandals are a no-go for a job interview. Footwear should be either closed-toe pumps with a subtle heel or closed-toe black high heels.
• Jewellery: Stay away from too much jewellery such as large necklaces and bangles, as too much clanging can cause unnecessary distraction. Be sure to only wear subtle earrings. Your watch should be slim and just wear a wedding band or no rings at all.
• Make-up: Don’t overdo the make-up, keep it conservative and natural-looking and just a light touch of perfume.
• Tattoos and piercings: Cover your tattoos and remove facial piercings.

What men should wear to a job interview

• Clothing: Put on a clean crisp suit. Wear a clean, freshly ironed, long sleeve white shirt and clean jacket. Be sure to have freshly pressed pants.
• Tie: Accessorise with a modest tie. Add a traditional business tie hung to the beltline. Make sure your belt is matched to the colour of your shoes and the buckle is not too prominent.
• Colours: Wear a business shirt of a solid colour, preferably white. Complete the outfit with a dark blue, black, or charcoal two- or three-piece suit. Make sure your tie is subtle in color and design.
• Shoes: Wear shoes that have been polished and make sure they are clean. Try to match the colour of your socks to your suit.
• Accessories: Wear a conservative belt and tie. Watches should be conservative with a link or leather band. Minimize your hand luggage – limit to just a leather purse or briefcase if possible. When it comes to perfume and aftershave, less is best. The last thing you want is to be remembered for your cologne and not your answers.
• Tattoos and piercings: Be sure to cover your tattoos and remove facial piercings.

A professional outfit can help you make a strong first impression on a hiring manager but don’t forget your body language. Exhibit good posture and maintain a pleasant, open expression on your face. Ultimately you want the hiring manager to picture you in the role and visualize you in their team.

Preparing for a job interview

You never get a second chance to make a great first impression during your job interview, so having a well-prepared plan is vitally important to increase your chances of landing that dream job. Interview preparation is the key to success and a well-polished presentation can give you an edge over others whose credentials might just be better than yours.

Read and review the job description

You’ve received a call for that dream job, so how do you prepare for the interview? The first step in the preparation process should be to go back and review the job description. Most job descriptions follow a similar pattern and are usually categorized by the following points:

• Job title/Department
• Duties and tasks
• Skills required

The job title and department will give you an understanding of the major purpose of the position and where the role fits into the organization, allowing you to discover who your potential line manager could be. Read and review the job description very thoroughly and be sure to align your competencies with the skills required for the job. You will consequently prepare yourself for questions around your previous experiences, performing similar duties in other organizations.

Research the company

Organisations look to hire people with similar values to those of the company culture. Researching the company before an interview will give you an insight into the organisation’s future goals and plans and being able to discuss these points will make you seem like a long-term investment to your future employer. The following interview preparation tips will give you a guide as to which aspect of the company should be researched:

• Company financial: Check the company website. Doing a Google search can also uncover the current state of the company. Have they gone through a merger? – or have they expanded recently? LinkedIn is also a good source of information.
• Culture: Look at LinkedIn and Facebook or check Google reviews for comments by current or former employees.
• Executive team: Look through the company website to research the company hierarchy and find out who the executives are.
• Competitors: Find out who the company’s main competitors are and look into the websites of organisations in the same industry.

How to prepare for a phone interview

In today’s digital world some hiring managers choose to conduct preliminary interviews by phone. Phone interviews can be challenging as you’re not physically in the room with your interviewer and in some cases, you have to work even harder to stand out. Take phone interviews seriously. Dressing as you would for any other interview put you in the right mindset. Also, sit at a desk or table. It is important to create a setting similar to as you would be sitting in front of the hiring manager.