Over the last 11 years, I have interviewed A LOT of people, both experienced and trainee candidates. From my experience I can draw the conclusion that those candidates that perform the best in interviews are the ones who are themselves and have clearly done some prior preparation. Too many times I have been told by candidates that they are avid readers of the FT or that they have a keen interested in what’s happening with the economic landscape, only to find out they received a 3rd in their Economics module! Of course you want to highlight and sometimes enhance some of your interests / achievements but make sure it’s based on fact and the truth. If the person interviewing you suspects you are telling ‘porkies’ you will lose credibility very quickly.

Open Up and Be Natural

We are looking for sales people and given the nature of the job, we are looking for people who are credible and we find it easily to build rapport with. It’s far more engaging to someone interviewing if you can open up and have a natural conversation, and offer a genuine insight into you as a person.

5 Tips for Interview Success

My 5 top tips for delivering a successful interview are:

• Be yourself- well, as much of yourself as you want a stranger to know! Remember someone interviewing you is not your friend. I always tell my candidates to imagine they are speaking to one of their parent’s good friends- you will be relaxed yet polite and considered.
• Enter into conversation – it’s important for you to build a rapport, demonstrate an interest and to find out whether they are right for you.
• 6 P’s – Prior Preparation Prevents Piss Poor Performance- if you go into an exam without revising, you are more than likely to end up flunking it. Make sure you research the company, the markets they work in and the people you are due to meet.
• 1st impressions count – make sure you dress the part. I have interviewed too many people who dress as though they are auditioning for a boy band! Not shaving, smelling of cigarettes, weak hand shakes are all absolute NO NO’s!
• Enjoy it! If you don’t get the job, it’s not the end of the world. Be yourself, smile, look interested and stick up for yourself when pushed!

To find out more on how to give a good account of yourself then call us to discuss how we can help you give a 1st class interview. Browse our latest vacancies here to get a taste of the roles we offer.