Blog interview tips

Interview Tips

Your career is a journey with many opportunities to explore. As a trusted partner, we guide thousands of professionals and employers through every step of their way. From industry specific insights, interview preparation, to team management and in-demand jobs – we’ve got you covered.

Three Pieces Of Advice Every Interviewer Should Follow

By brushing up on your interview skills, and learning a few quick tricks to help keep the interviewee engaged and alert, you will not only ensure the candidate is put at ease, but you can be sure that they will leave only having good things to say about your organisation... Read more

Got A Second Interview? Here’s What To Expect

Congratulations! You’ve been asked back for a second interview. Your first interview obviously went well, as a result, the company are seriously considering you for the job, and you are one step closer to securing it... Read more

How Should You Prepare For A Panel Interview?

Interviewing with one person is daunting enough, but the prospect of facing a panel of multiple interviewers can feel even more intimidating. And, if you’re currently preparing for this kind of panel interview, I’m sure visions of sitting in front of several stony faces, being bombarded with quick-fire questions in rapid succession may well be flashing through your mind... Read More

How To Put A Very Nervous Candidate At Ease

Are you about to meet with several candidates, hoping to find a suitable match for your latest vacancy? If so, then chances are at least one of the people you meet with will arrive to the interview with a case of interview nerves... Read More

Four Tips For Delivering The Best Job Interview Presentation Possible

You were already feeling pretty nervous about your upcoming job interview. Then you were asked to give an interview presentation. It’s one thing preparing to answer some tricky questions, but preparing to give a presentation as well? Well, that’s less familiar territory for most people... Read More

14 Things To Do Before Your Job Interview

Preparation is key for any job interview. Below are a series of steps you should take leading up to the event, to help maximise your chances of success… Read More

Power-pose Your Way To Interview Success

The statistics on how much we communicate through our body language are widely known and available – one well-known study believes it accounts for 55 per cent... Read More

4 Ways To Cope With Job Search Rejection

I’m often asked how best to cope with frequent rejection when searching for a job. My advice is always to not take the rejection personally – instead see what you can learn from the experience and don’t give up... Read More

4 Reasons You Aren’t Getting Any Interviews

Job searching can be tiresome, especially when it feels as though you are spending all your time firing off applications, yet not getting any interviews as a result. Rest assured, this is a situation even the most determined jobseekers sometimes find themselves in... Read More

How To Interview Confidently Against The Competition

Do you have an interview coming up and are now starting to wonder how you will fare against the other candidates, i.e. your competition? Perhaps you’re worried that they may be more qualified or have more experience than you...Read More

Change Your Thinking And Calm Your Interview Nerves

Whether it’s racing thoughts, sweaty palms or feeling restless, one thing is for certain – those job interview nerves are starting to kick in. If you could just shake those nerves in time for the interview, you would be able to exude confidence and make a strong impression... Read More

Introverts: Here's How To Shine In Your Interview

Do you have an interview coming up? One which you’re otherwise feeling confident in your suitability for? And yet you can’t fight the niggling worry that the other candidates, more specifically, those who might be more extroverted than you, might have the upper hand... Read More

Jobseekers – You Really Do Need To Be Yourself in the Interview

“Just be yourself” is advice that might have served you well on your first day of college, or when you went to that party where you didn’t know anyone. But can you really be yourself in an interview situation... Read More

The Worst Questions to Ask Your Interview

Now don’t be mistaken – any interviewer loves to be sat across from a zealous candidate during the interview; a candidate who has come armed with plenty of well-thought-out questions to ask. However, this bubble can quickly be burst if the candidate asks a question they really shouldn’t... Read More

Revealed: The Top Skills to Showcase in a Cyber Security Job Interview

If you have an interview coming up for a cyber security role, preparation is everything. And there are two hot topics most employers want to know about now: the zero trust model and ransomware... Read More

Top Tips For the Perfect Telephone Interview

Telephone interviews are now part and parcel of many hiring processes, yet they are often overlooked or can be seen as less formal, simply because they aren’t face-to-face... Read More

How Do I Explain Redundancy On My CV And During A Job Interview?

If you’ve found yourself in the position of being made redundant, don’t be afraid of communicating it clearly on your CV and in a job interview... Read More

“What Are Your Strengths And Weaknesses?”: How To Answer This Common Interview Question

During my career I’ve seen many candidates struggle with a common interview question when they shouldn’t. It’s a line of conversation that provides them with a great opportunity to impress the person leading the interview... Read More

The One Question You Should Ask Your Interviewer

We’re all used to the idea of being questioned at a job interview – after all, the interviewer needs to ask questions to assess your skills, competencies and fit for the role they’re recruiting for. But in truth, the interviewer shouldn’t be the only one asking questions in your next job interview... Read More

CV Writing: Your Questions Answered

In this blog, Karen Young shares her top tips on successfully creating or updating your CV or resume... Read more

How to Decide if a Job is Right for You When Interviewing Remotely

Regardless of whether you’re interviewing remotely or face-to-face, there’s always a lot to think about when judging whether an opportunity really is the right one for you, such as...Read more

11 Signs Your Interview Went Well

Nothing quite beats that feeling when you walk out of an interview room. The thorough preparation, interview nerves, and the fact that you’ve had to talk yourself up for the best part of an hour can really take it out of a person, so it can be quite a relief when it’s over. That is until you start to wonder how the interview actually went... Read more

Bad Interview? Here’s What You Should Do Next

You know what your best interview performance looks like, and that wasn’t it. Despite all of your careful interview preparation, the points that you wanted to make just didn’t come across in the right way. You felt nervous and uncomfortable, you went blank when asked questions, and you struggled to build a rapport with the interviewer... Read more

11 Ways to Make your Interview Feel Less Like an Interrogation and More Like a Conversation

You are going to have job interviews. Maybe that won’t be for a while, maybe you are preparing for one right now. Your next interview might be for an external job, about a promotion, with a recruiter or in a new country. Whenever and however that interview happens, it’s unlikely that you are looking forward to it... Read more

How to Add Quantifiable Results to Your CV, When you Think you Don't Have Any

Most jobseekers understand the importance of showcasing quantifiable evidence of their skills and competencies on their CV. Stating the percentage increase in new sales, clients or website visitors that you were personally responsible for, for example, serves to demonstrate to a potential new employer your expertise and the value you could bring to their organisation... Read more

Feel the Fear, and Apply for that Job Anyway

Have you recently, out of the blue, when you weren’t even looking, stumbled across an excellent job opportunity that has really sparked your interest? One that actually got your blood pumping and made you question “Am I really that fulfilled in my current job?” The more you read the job description, the more it ticked all of your boxes... Read more

Stand Out on LinkedIn

If you’re looking for a new job, the opportunity to learn new skills, and discover content and connections that can support your career, then LinkedIn is the place for you. With 700+ million people on LinkedIn globally, including recruiters and prospective employers, and millions of jobs available, it gives you the best opportunity to find your dream role... Read more

Contractors - Are you Making These CV Mistakes?

As a contractor, you will be more than familiar with the many benefits that contracting brings, from the ability to gain a wide variety of experience and expand your network, to improved work/life balance. And because of these benefits, contract roles are always highly sought after. This means that you need to set yourself apart with a great CV if you want to compete... Read more

The Best and Worst Things You Can Do Following Your Interview

Whether it’s been two hours or two days, time is dragging ever since you had that interview. You are sitting by the phone willing it to ring with some good news. You know that this job is a great opportunity, and hopefully, your eagerness and suitability came across in the interview room, but you can never quite be sure... Read more

What to Do If Your Mind Goes Blank in a Job Interviewer

It can feel like something straight out of a nightmare. You’ve prepared extensively for your job interview, got into the right frame of mind, and walked into the room feeling confident. But suddenly, to your horror, your mind has gone completely blank when asked a question... Read more

10 Ways to Build a Rapport with your Interviewer

You only have a finite amount of time in an interview to successfully build a rapport with your interviewer. There is no doubt that this will come easier to some, than it does for others. However, by fostering a meaningful connection with your interviewer, you will positively impact the outcome of your interview. After all, people recruit people they like... Read more

"Why Do You Want This Job?"

It’s one of the most common interview questions, and often one of the easiest to slip up on. On the face of it, the interviewer is simply asking “Why are you sat across from me in the interview room today?” As such, many candidates provide simplistic answers like... Read more

How to Get Time Off for a Job Interview

Congratulations! You’ve landed an interview and could soon be taking the next exciting step in your career. But there’s a problem. The interview is scheduled at 3pm – exactly the same time as an important client meeting – a meeting you’ve spent weeks preparing for... Read more

“Tell Me About a Time You Failed”

Let’s face it, no-one likes failure, and for some it’s a horrible word that raises their anxiety levels. I’ve read inspirational quotes such as, “I’ve learnt more from my failures than I have from my successes”, but is it really something we all want to experience and do we really want these circumstances dredged up in the interview room? ...Read more

“Why Are You Looking to Leave Your Current Job?”

Naturally, the reason, or reasons one person wants to leave a job may be completely different from one person to the next. However, no matter why you have made the decision to move on, the way you articulate this to your interviewer is absolutely crucial... Read more

Eight Tricky Interview Questions – and How to Answer Them

So, you’ve been invited to interview for your dream job, and you’re starting your all-important preparation. As part of that preparation, you’ve thought about the most likely things you could be asked, such as “why do you want to work here?” or “what first attracted you to this role?” and you have diligently prepared your answers...Read more

"So Tell Me About Yourself"

On the face of it, answering the common interview question, “So, tell me about yourself” seems easy enough. After all, you just have to talk about your background, and this is a topic you know better than anyone else. What could possibly go wrong?... Read more

10 Ways to Get Into a Positive Mindset Before Your Remote Job Interview

“I’m so nervous.” “I’m sure all the other candidates are better than me.” “I’ve never had a video interview before, it’ll probably go wrong.” “I feel worried about the impact of the virus, what if that negatively impacts my performance?” ...Read more

7 Ways to Communicate Confidence

I have interviewed many candidates over the years with impressive CVs but who, at interview, showed a lack of confidence. For this reason alone I struggled to hire any of them... Read more.

The Secret to Giving Strong Interview Answers

Have you ever wanted an opportunity so much, that during your interview answers, you ended up listing every single reason why you were the most suitable candidate for the job, shoehorning in points which weren’t even relevant to the question? This is common trap that many candidates fall into, especially when they are feeling particularly nervous... Read more

7 Common CV Gaps, and How to Explain Them in an Interview

There are many reasons why you may have gaps on your CV. You might have spent your time away from the workplace to look after children, you may have been studying, travelling, caring for a relative or looking for a job. Career gaps can also be caused, of course, by redundancy...Read more

Lights, Camera, Action: How to Impress in Your Video Interview

For some, the perceived lack of real interpersonal interaction during a video interview can be a cause for anxiety. Body language accounts for a large part of communication, and without it the ability to express ourselves decreases significantly... Read more

How you Answer Interview Questions is Just as Important as What You Say

When preparing for an all-important job interview, you might think that the most important thing to equip yourself with is what you’re going to say when answering specific types of interview questions... Read more

How to Elevate Your Answer to Why Should I Hire You

With it often being one of the first questions asked in a job interview, how you answer, “Why should I hire you?” could really help you set a positive tone for the rest of the meeting, whilst engaging the interviewer in what you have to say from the outset... Read more

Seven Questions to Ask Your Interviewer, Following the Pandemic Outbreak

The decision you make when choosing which employer to work for, and which role to accept, has always been an important one – life changing in fact. It’s an intently personal thing, rooted in your values and hopes and dreams for the future. However, it’s likely that during the lockdown period, you’ve been afforded more time to think and ruminate on your career trajectory, and contemplate, if, on reflection, it’s really headed in a direction that’s right for you... Read more

The Five Interview Questions you Must Ask to Secure the Best Candidate in the Next Era of Work

As governments around the world slowly start to ease lockdown restrictions, for many leaders, focus is now firmly on how to return to growth when operating with backdrop of uncertainty and unease. This is a monumental challenge, but we can rise to it if we utilise our organisation’s most valuable asset – our people... Read more

10 Ways to Get into a Positive Mindset Before Your Remote Job Interview

How to Succeed in Your Remote Job Interview

In these difficult times, most interviews are being conducted remotely either over the phone or by video call. So, in this Q&A , we’re joined by Gaelle Blake, Director of Permanent Employment at Hays UK and Ireland. Gaelle is here to share her expert advice for those who are worried about interviewing remotely, to help them overcome their fears and secure their next job... Read more

14 Ways to Ensure your Skype Interview is a Success

There are 300 million people using Skype each month. It’s no surprise then, that the video chat service has been deployed in the interview process... Read more