Prepare for a job interview

Or not?

Written by Alison Taylor, Careers Consultant

I’ve got an interview coming up – can I blag it?

Well … you know how I’m going to answer that question, don’t you?! Call us boring, but here in Careers, we certainly wouldn’t advise it!

In my last job, I helped hundreds of students to prepare for interviews. Not just any old interview, either – these were with high profile employers. You’d be surprised how many students initially thought they’d “be fine” on the big day, without any preparation. They thought they might be able to blag it…

What I think they really meant was, “I don’t like the idea of having an interview and talking about myself – so if I read up about interviews, have a few ideas prepared, and rely on my natural charm and ability to chat to people – that’ll be enough won’t it?”

Sorry to disappoint, but no!

Being bright people, the students I worked with soon realised that using a REAL interview as a practice wasn’t such a good idea. They knew that by getting some help in advance of their actual interview, they would not only be able to reduce their pre-interview nerves and feel more confident but would deliver a much better performance!

So, when you’ve got an interview coming up, make sure to use the expertise in Careers to help you prepare. Don’t try blagging it…

 

Scroll through our Interview preparation guide and see what you can do to be your best version on the big day. Start with What to wear to an interview, move on to How to prepare for an interview and then get ready to impress at interviews. Also, have a look at these Bizarre interview questions if you want to be prepared for the unexpected.