Written by Samantha Madigan Reading time: 3 mins
Employers interview a LOT of people for each role, so it's important to find a way to stand out in your interviews and really separate yourself from the crowd. Below are our top tips to help you do this:
1. Be more prepared than anyone else!
Our top tip is to ensure that you have researched the practice/company thoroughly. You need to walk into the interview knowing the mission statement and values, what they do, whether they have any areas of specialty/expertise. One of the questions that often comes up during interviews is 'What you know about us?'. It's important that if it does get asked, you can answer it sufficiently and really show that you've done your research to make sure the interviewer knows that you are really interested in the job, and that you want to work there.
2. Effective body language!
Body language plays an important role in helping you stand out in a job interview. Interviewers will generally form their first impression of you within a few seconds of meeting you, this can affect how they respond to you for the rest of the interview. For example, an untidy appearance, whether you're sitting up straight or lounging, your use of eye contact, whether you are smiling or frowning, etc.
3. Be results focused!
Often people are comfortable talking about their experiences or different situations they have encountered, but when it comes to articulating results they aren't as concise or confident. It's important to work on this technique to ensure that you stand out. Be ready to explain specific outcomes, for example how you used your studies and knowledge. Using the STAR (Situation, Task, Action, Results) technique can help you to structure your responses to such questions.
4. Prepare and ask great questions!
Interviewers will evaluate you heavily based on the questions you ask. They want to recruit someone who asks insightful and intelligent questions, and has taken the time to tailor the questions they ask, rather than simply reusing the same questions. Focus your questions on the role, company and even the interviewers' experiences to show that you're interested in the role and you’ve done your homework!
5. Demonstrate your learning mindset!
Our university courses often don’t fully equip us with the tools for the roles we apply for, so it's important to demonstrate evidence of your ability (and desire) to learn new skills, take on new challenges and adapt to new situations. A willingness to learn is a soft skill that can help you stand out, and demonstrate to employers that you'll be able to adapt to new situations and ways of working.
Our last tip to stand out in an interview is to make sure that you practice, practice, practice! By doing this with family, friends, or even in front of the mirror, this will help you feel more comfortable and confident during the interview.