If your résumé has landed you a face-to-face job interview, you need to be able to sell yourself to the interview panel. Start by memorising a list of your best-selling points.
Do your research – it will help you enter an interview with confidence. A company’s website, annual reports, your networks, and your recruitment expert will help you gain a better understanding of the business and how your experience and skills match.
Prepare for likely questions. Some of the common subject areas include your general background, experience, qualifications, reasons for applying and career objectives. When addressing your experience, your answer should include details about relevant employment, community or educational experience and how this relates to the nature of the industry, the organisation and the position itself.
Try practising your answers out loud, as this will also help you to cut out unnecessary rambling, such as ‘um’, ‘like’, ‘right’. Treat the interview as a two-way discussion and answer questions
honestly, directly and to the point.
First impressions are critical. Look, act and dress professionally and arrive 10 minutes early.
Have questions prepared to ask at the end. Be confident and use the questions as another way to impress. For example, you could ask about the career path available, the team size, the support on offer, or the deadlines.
Marc Burrage, regional director, Hong Kong, Hays
