Interview guide
Prepare to succeed
The best way to tackle interview nerves, and make sure you do your best on the day, is to be prepared. Here’s our easy guide.
Before the interview
Do your research!
- Find out about the company or organisation you’re applying to by visiting their website and social media channels.
- Make sure you know all the details of the job you’re interviewing for by thoroughly reading the job description and person specification.
- Write down any questions you still have.
Practice, practice, practice!
- Write down some questions you think you’re likely to be asked.
- Ask someone to do a mock interview with you using the questions you came up with.
- You might be asked to give examples of times you’ve shown a particular quality or done work you’re proud of. Try using this STAR framework.
Shine with STAR
What is the STAR framework?
- Situation - What's the situation you were in?
- Task - What needed to happen?
- Action - What did you do, and how did you do it?
- Results - What was the outcome of your actions?
Here's an example
Start out with the situation
“Last summer I was volunteering for a charity.”
Next talk about the task
“I was given the job of improving their promotional strategy to increase donations.”
Explain the action you took
“I researched how other charities get the best out of their promotions and then presented new ideas to my manager.”
Proudly share the result
“My manager took my ideas on board and after a week of new promotions, our donations increased by 10%.”
My interview experiences
Hear from Charlotte about the kinds of questions she sees come up time and again in interviews.
On the day
You want to make a great impression. Follow these tips and you’ll give yourself the best possible chance.
Dress for success
Wear something smart and comfortable that you would wear for work if you got the job.
Be prepared
Research, practice, and make sure you give yourself plenty of time to arrive at your destination.
Take your time
When answering questions, don’t feel like you need to rush to come up with an answer. Take a deep breath and repeat the question back if you need to.
Follow the STAR
Knowing that answer format can be a huge help — it’s a great one to practice with friends or family.
Feedback is your friend
You can’t win them all. So even if you don’t get the job, asking for feedback can be a really great way to learn how to improve for next time. Most employers expect this, and should be ready to provide it on request.