We are totally with you, interviews are the worst, all that research, worrying about what to wear, whether my internet connection will make it through and not forgetting countless hours of preparation for questions that never come up!
But don't fear, Lemon is here…we've done countless interviews ourselves as both interviewers and interviewees and have jotted down our top tips to help alleviate some of your pre-interview anxieties!
1. Be enthusiastic and be yourself
You'll be surprised how many people we interview who look like they don't want to be there…it's not a good look and even if your answers are on point, we'd think that you're not interested in the role or working with us. Lean forward, smile and be energetic with your answers and body language, even nervous energy comes across well, it shows the interviewer you really want the role and have put the effort in to be there.
2. Sell, sell, sell
This is your main opportunity to sell yourself to your new employer and probably one of the only socially acceptable times when we have the freedom to tell everyone how great we are…how good! So go to town…tell them all the amazing things you've done in your career, education, charity, sport, whatever it may be. Try to weave the good examples into a question if you can, if not, add it on at the end or be sneaky and tweak the question to one you want to answer!
3. Don’t be a consultant
When answering questions…real life practical examples are key. Yes it can be good to talk about concepts and how to apply them, and show off the odd bit of jargon but in reality, anyone can do a bit of research of regurgitate it. The interviewers really care about your first hand experience, how you have applied these known concepts to real life practical examples. An extra tip is to jot down a list of all the great examples you can think of from your education, work experience, sporting achievements etc and link them to questions you think will come up e.g. Tell me about a time you have succeeded well in a team? Hmmm…that time me and four other senior consultants cut $200m in costs completing a LEAN review…kerching!
4. STAR's are shiny
Ever heard of the STAR framework for answering an interview question? Well now you have…STAR is an acronym for Situation, Task, Action and Result and a great way to break down an answer into a structured way, whilst making sure you provide a holistic response. Let them know what the situation of the example is by providing some context, explain what the problem statement or 'task' was for you or the team, tell them what you did…and specifically, what YOU did, not just the team. And most importantly, tell them what the outcome was (tends to help if it’s a positive one). If you really want to go above and beyond…tell them what you learned from the experience, might be more relevant when answering constructive questions such as the classic "Tell me about a time when you faced a challenge within a team".
5. Question master
A fairly straightforward but important one to finish with…ask questions! It’s a really simple way to show that you are enthusiastic about the role, plus, if you think about it, changing roles or careers is a big step and one that you may only do a handful of times in your life, so you want to make sure the role is a right fit for you. Take some time and jot down all of the things you want to know about the role, company, people and the culture. Check out our guide on "Interview questions" to see a list of recommended questions you may be asked, and ones that you can ask too.
So that’s it, 5 of our personal top tips for smashing an interview. I know what you're thinking, 5 tips isn't many and you're right, but there's loads more information out there about interviews so have a read through it, these tips are our personal highlights that we think will be valuable in the Accounting and Consulting sectors. And don't forget we are always here to help so pick up the phone and give us a buzz if you want to talk interviews in more detail.
Good luck out there!
Brook
Lemon Talent
Comments