As the old saying goes 'if you fail to prepare, you prepare to fail' with this in mind we have ask Laura Perkins, Meridian’s Resourcing Manager for her top tips for preparing for an interview. Laura has been working for Meridian for four years and it is her responsibility to find the most talented recruitment consultants to join our winning teams. During her time with Meridian, Laura has conducted hundreds of interviews; so when it comes to interviews she really knows her stuff!
Here are Laura’s top 3 tips on how to prepare for an interview:
1. Research the organisation
It is important that you spend time researching the organisation before your interview, to gain a full understanding of what the company does. The interviewer will have expected you to have done this and may ask you questions about the company, so it is important that you are prepared.
As a starting point you should visit the company’s website and gain the following facts about the organisation:
Key Facts:
- Year the company was established
- Turnover
- Size
- Number of employees
- Values and vision
Go beyond the company website by researching the company online looking for articles in trade press and news stories, such as industry award nominations and new business wins. These are good things to quote at the interview to impress the interviewer, as this demonstrates that you have a real interest in the company.
2. Ensure you fully understand the role
Read the advert properly, paying attention to what is required and ask yourself if you have the skills to carry out those tasks. If you have been given a job description, read it thoroughly thinking about how your skills meet those essential to the role.
3. Anticipate the questions you are likely to be asked
There are some standard questions that you can be expected to be asked at interview, these include:
• Why were you attracted to this role?
• Why do you want to work for our company?
• Why did you leave/want to leave your current employer?
Prepare yourself by thinking about how you would answer these questions if you were asked them.
You should also think about how you would overcome objections by demonstrating how you have the skills to carry out those tasks relevant to the role.
