Top Tips in Preparing for an Interview

By Nicole Hayes, Marketing Assistant at Janus Henderson Investors

My number one piece of advice for any interview at any level would be to do your research! Fail to prepare, prepare to fail! Really familiarise yourself with every aspect the company and the job description – be sure to go beyond what they do, find out how they do, in what way are they different from their competitors, what are their main mantras, etc.

Also, see what comes up in a google search – ie. have they been featured in any recent news articles, etc. If you’re asked anything about the company or the role itself, be sure not to recite something you’ve read off of the job description or website, be sure to use your own words and form your own understanding.

It never hurts to have some pre-prepared questions to ask the interviewers. In every interview, I’ve ever had (and I’ve had quite a few!) I’ve always been asked if I have any questions, I think asking 1 or 2 questions shows you are engaged with the interview and genuinely curious. I also think it shows you are comfortable and confident enough to hold a conversation with your interviewers.

Familiarise yourself with your own CV – this may sound silly as you wrote it but you will inevitably be asked about your experience and if your answer is widely different to your CV this won’t look good – but be sure not to simply recite the words in your CV. Whilst going through your CV pick out things you think are relevant to the new role, you may be asked why you think you’re suitable for the role, so having the relevant skills ready in your mind will only help – don’t be afraid to brag about yourself a little!

Also, prepare yourself for the dreaded question – “so, tell us about yourself?” – for this I would suggest you offer some sort of personality whilst still keeping it professional, ie any hobbies, sports, activities you’re particularly interested in or passionate about.

I know this may sound obvious, but try not to be too nervous! In my experience the less nervous you are the better you come across. This can be helped by being fully prepared, not only for the interview itself but making sure you know where you’re going and be sure to arrive there on time – this will give you time to take a breath and relax a little.