Here at Aversan, our Recruitment Team interviews a handful of candidates each day for various positions. As you can imagine, we have seen many good and many not so good interviews. This list is comprised of the best tips we could come up with based on our interviewing experience.

1. Know Your Resume

You’ll be asked a lot about what you have written on your resume. To be able to answer confidently, you will need to know your resume inside and out. This way, you’ll be able to make frequent eye contact rather than looking at (or worse, reading) your resume while coming up with your interview answers. If you’ve listed relevant skills on your resume, make sure you’re prepared to to talk about them, or sometimes even demonstrate certain skills like programming! Note that employers may ask for specific examples of how you’ve utilized those skills in the past.

2. Dress Appropriately

Dress smart, and always plan what to wear based on what is being requested by the interviewer. Choosing a comfortable outfit will help too – it’s much easier to relax and do well in an interview when you’re not focused on clothing discomfort. Try to avoid anything too flashy or what some people might deem a bit risqué. Remember that proper grooming also extends to hygiene.

3. Your Interview Starts At Reception

Candidates tend to be too preoccupied with the person who will be interviewing them. Often overlooked are the receptionists, administrators and even other employees passing by. While waiting at the reception, get yourself comfortable, use your phone only if absolutely necessary, have a conversation with the receptionist if available, and at the very least, try to look positive by smiling and making eye contact with everyone in the area.

4. Practice Your Introduction

Practice your introduction! A firm handshake and a smile (or at least a hint of a smile) should be perfected by this time. Introduce yourself while sounding positive and enthusiastic. It has been noticed that when the candidate has a positive attitude from the first introduction, this typically extends through to the end of the interview and helps the candidate with confidence.

5. Listen To Questions Carefully

Some candidates have a habit of listing off rehearsed answers, even when the interview question is different than intended. Be sure to listen and understand the question being asked. There’s no harm in asking for the question to be repeated or to elaborate if you feel it is vague.

6. Always Be Positive

Answer questions as confidently as you can. In situations where you are being asked something that you’re lacking, spin around your response by making it positive (i.e. “Q: Do you have experience with _____” “A: Unfortunately I have never used ___ but I have used a similar tool such as ____. I believe these two things are similar enough that I should be able to pick this up in no time.”)

7. Ask Smart Questions

Most interviewers will end the interview by asking if you have any questions. A great tip is to do some research before your scheduled meeting. Typically candidates prepare a variety of questions beforehand and ask those which seem most appropriate, depending on which direction the interview went. However, when choosing these, ensure that they are not easily found on the company website, otherwise you may look unprepared.

8. Ingredients for Interview Success

Your interview success will be based upon a lot of different factors. It’s important to remember that employers aren’t looking to stump you with hard questions – we’re just trying to get to know you, which is why you should always be yourself! Some other key tips include doing your company research (even if it’s just skimming over their website beforehand), preparing some good questions, and of course showing up early for your scheduled meeting.

Most importantly, breathe! Try to compose yourself beforehand so that you’re in control, not your nerves! The goal of the Recruitment Team is to use this as an opportunity to get to know who you really are. We’re hoping to find a candidate that will be a great fit in both the position and within the company.