The Interview

Interview Day.

It’s 8:25am...

You've just survived your first Central Line tube journey. You are hot. Very hot. Moist, even.

You have just spent most of the journey up close and personal with Mr. Suits and, for the last half an hour, you’ve been able to smell what he had for breakfast. Not the type of bacon sandwich you were hoping to take a whiff of this morning.

You’ve managed to battle your way through the stampede of cattle at Bank station. You don’t know how you’ve made it out of the maze alive, or what exit you came out of, but YOU MADE IT!

Although, this is just the beginning...

You're sat in the nearest Pret (who knows which one, there are too many) going over your notes about the business. You're repeating them over and over in your head, hoping all these facts will stick, but you are feeling panicked and nervous. You know your facts, you know about the business, but what else do you need?!!?

Have no fear, The Curly Headed Recruiter is here...

But seriously, here are a few naughty tips from yours truly. I may be giving away my trade secrets here, but sharing is caring and I’m in festive spirits...

SMILE – I know what you're thinking... seriously Lauren? Is that really your first tip? But honestly, you have no idea how much of an impact this has. It is scientifically proven that if you smile, it sends messages up to your ol’ noggin that actually make you happier (woooooah magic). FAKE IT UNTIL YOU MAKE IT.

ENERGY – now, this is super important. Your energy, or “vibe”, portrays everything about you as a person. It’s all well and good saying you are confident, a great communicator and that you are an enthusiastic person, but are you showing this?

I know it's easier said than done. In normal situations you might well be that person, but interviews make us nervous and it’s hard to shrug those nerves.

You know that feeling you get when you're nervous? That sick, butterflies in your stomach feeling? That’s also the same feeling you get with an adrenalin rush. Imagine if you turned that nervous energy into excitement! Imagine if, instead of feeling nervous, you were buzzing to go to your interview – how would your energy be then?

Last but not least (not really last... I've got bags full of more tips but I can’t give all my secrets away... I'd would have nothing left)

ASK BLEEDIN’ QUESTIONS – Yes, ask ask ask away. But, most importantly, don’t just ask for the sake of asking. Asking random questions rarely makes you sound better.

Think about what you want to know about the business. What is most important to you? ASK ABOUT IT. What concerns you the most? ASK ABOUT IT.

Questions aren’t to benefit the employer, they're to benefit you. You ask these questions so you come away feeling like you know the business inside and out. These questions are going to help you iron out any uncertainty that could crop up furtherdown the line.

Asking questions allows you to open the floor back. Get the business to show you more of what they're about, or even the person who's interviewing you (who knows, they could end up being your manager!).

If you need any more top tips or want to ask about the above, give me a shout on Linkedin or give us a call on 02079933353!! Also if you’ve got any naughty little top tips you would like to share, I welcome this also (we all love a bit of back and forth).

Yours truly,

The Curly Headed Recruiter