Getting the job - interview

What you say in an interview is important but how you say it and the enthusiasm you demonstrate is likely to be more memorable. So how do you convey enthusiasm without going over the top and scaring people?

People in any organisation like to think that what they do is worthwhile – even awesome. So, know what they do, express enthusiasm for what they do and appear excited by the prospect of joining them. You can do this through eye contact, smiles and an energetic tone of voice. Is what they are hearing from your tone – “yeah, it would be ok to work here” or “what everyone does here is fantastic/important/interesting and I would love to be a part of it”? You do not have to be over-the-top bubbly to convey enthusiasm. Unless you are the billionaire CEO of a company like Microsoft, we do not recommend you convey enthusiasm like Steve Ballmer. But, as you can see, enthusiasm is contagious!

A lot of recruiters recommend that you prepare a memorable closing statement. Often, when the Chair of the panel says at the end of the interview, “Is there anything you’d like to say?”, candidates aren’t prepared. Some say, “No” and others don’t make the best use of this opportunity. So what is your memorable closing statement?

You need to be well prepared to respond to difficult questions. Other questions that can stump candidates include:

• “Can you tell us about your greatest weakness?”.
• “Can you describe yourself in one word?”
• “Why should you have this job?”
• “How would your peers describe you?”
• “Can you tell me about one career highlight – something that you are really proud of?”