For most candidates, January is a month of change and goal setting for the forthcoming year, particularly the goal of landing your dream role. With many companies turning their attention back to hiring, now is the perfect time to perfect interview techniques for assessment processes this year. As a leading marketing recruitment agency, Spotlight Recruitment want to help candidates do their best, so we are sharing with you our top 5 tips to ace your job interviews in 2023.
- Prep, prep, prep!
A key way to ace your job interview is to get to know your CV like the back of your hand – after all, you will have spent a lot of time writing your CV. If you know anything about interviews, you will most likely be discussing your skills and experience, so this is one of the key things to prepare. Becoming a master of your CV means that you can easily link the role requirements (from the job description) to your in-demand skills and experience, making an easy argument for why you are the right person for the role. Being able to draw examples from your past experience is a must, and something which is very commonly assessed.
- Do your research
To show that you’re an organised and prepared individual and to set yourself up for success, you will need to do plenty of research for an interview. For each upcoming interview, we advise taking some time to learn about the company you’re applying for, including what work they do, the culture, and what ultimately attracted you to this particular role. Look at their social media, press releases and company results. In addition to this, the job description is your best friend – make sure you take a close look at what is expected of the ideal candidate as well as vital information they want you to know about the company!
- A focused and positive mindset
Your attitude and how you compose yourself in an interview is an often-overlooked aspect of an interview, and one that is hard to balance. Above all, you should speak thoughtfully and mindfully and aim to communicate a keen interest in the role. One way to cultivate a positive mindset is to remind yourself that interviews are not only about you being a right fit for the company, but the company also needs to be a right fit for you! Remember, you wouldn’t be here if you weren’t worthy, so be confident that you belong in that interview.
- Give yourself the edge
Ultimately, you will be competing against other candidates for the same role, so you’ll need to set yourself apart from the crowd and show the employer what you can offer them that others cannot (also known as your personal brand). Pro tip: It’s always a good idea to communicate a desire for continued learning, through completed qualifications or online courses, as this displays your growth mindset and long-term thinking which are desirable attributes for candidates – so don’t forget to mention these!
- Gain interview experience
Regardless of the outcome of your job interview, each interview situation is valuable experience, leading you to become the best version of yourself in the process. From each interview, you learn how to best answer certain types of questions, your confidence improves, you develop your personal brand, and most importantly, you learn how to handle yourself in the most professional way. Interview processes are a learning experience and are never a waste of time – so keep going!
We hope that these key tips help you to ace your job interviews this year, and ultimately land you your dream job. If these tips have helped you in your first stage, it’s now time to prepare for your second interview!
NICOLA MONGON is the MD of Spotlight Recruitment for marketing, specialists in marketing, digital, and communications recruitment since 2008. Read our 5* Google reviews from candidates and clients to find out more. If you would like to discuss hiring plans or find out more about us, you can reach Spotlight at 020 3008 4254 or info@spotlightrecruitment.com
