Job Interviews: How to ace your interview

Starter Guide: Everything You Need to Know to Ace your job interview!

It's one of the many things us blokes dread, but at the same time it's a part of life. The job interview. Job interviews have always been seen as the final hurdle to getting the job, and there is a reason for it. As someone who has gone through countless job interviews and application processes, I am here to reassure you that job interviews don't have to be the big, scary event many of us blokes make them out to be. Below, I will offer the tips and tricks that will enable you to ace every job interview, and blow the interview out of the water.

Part 1: What is the point of an interview?

Part 2: Experience, Experience, Experience

Part 3: Selling the dream

Part 1: What is the point of an interview?

You may be thinking, 'I know what an interview is for'. However, there are some things about an interview that might not be as clear as you think. Firstly, most interviewers will have already read your application and CV, and as such will already know that you have the qualifications needed for the job. In addition, the interviewer is going to want to know how your past experiences are relevant to work that you will be performing. However, the major and obvious point that many people forget, or simply don't know , is that what the interviewers are looking for in the interview is whether they can see themselves working alongside you.

The interviewer, in most interviews, will either be your direct supervisor, or someone working closely with you in the job you are applying for. Therefore, a big factor in a job interview, is for the interviewer to access whether they believe you will not only be a good fit for the team, but also whether they see themselves working with you. To understand this properly you have to place yourself in the shoes of the interviewer. So far in the application process, the interviewer has read your application(along with countless others), but they have no idea what you are like as a person. The interview is the perfect time for them to find out.

The question you are definitely asking yourself right now is, 'well go on then, how do I make someone like me as a person?' Well that my fellow blokes, is the million dollar question, and unfortunately there is no one rule fits all to that question. However, I shall endeavour in the following sections to give you as much chance as possible at impressing your interviewer, through interview tips and tricks.

Part 2: Experience, Experience, Experience

Experience?? We were just on about impressing an interviewer weren't we?? Well, you're bang on.

See, talking about your experiences, job related or not, are crucial ways in which you can form a real connection with the interviewer. The obvious starting point here is to discuss the experiences you have that are directly relevant to the job you are applying for. However, there is a subtly to discussing your experiences that is lost on the majority of blokes. Simply stating I did X,Y,Z is not likely to overly impress your interviewer. The subtly, is to weave into these experiences, either attributes you have learnt or developed, and in addition, what part of these experiences excited you.

Lets try an example out here when applying for a management role.

Poor Example: 'I was previously responsible for managing five members of my team, and ensuring they hit their sales targets'.

Great Example: 'I was previously responsible for managing five members of my team and ensuring they hit their sales targets. Ultimately, I found this role extremely rewarding as I was able to see my team members grow and develop within their roles, and I took great pride in assisting them reach their targets, which in turn massively developed my management skills which I can bring to this job'.

If you're anything like me, you'll be thinking what a load of b*llocks. Well you know what? You're right! However, as blokes, most of us aren't attuned to the subtleties of being able to bullsh*t through an interview. Unfortunately, it's all part of the game we call life, and job interviewing. Now to reiterate, I am not saying go and make stuff up, because that it just lying, and you'll get caught out by any half switched on interviewer. What I am saying, is use what experience you have, and adapt it to your interview.

Speaking of experience, the final point I want to make on experience, is don't be afraid to talk about experiences that are not directly related to your job application. Let's say you worked in a bar, if you really think long and hard, there are definitely some skills that we can transfer to a management role e.g. working to a deadline, working in a team, communicating with clients. The key to talking about experiences, and allowing your personality to come forward is being able to dissect from any of your experiences what you can transfer to your current job application.

Part 3: Selling the dream!

Getting an interviewer to be impressed with me personally, and my experiences?? How do these come together you ask. Well this is where I tell you how to add the icing to the cake to hit that home run, goal or whatever the f*ck sport you play.

The key to enabling the interviewer to not only be impressed by your experiences, but also be impressed by you personally, is in the way in which you communicate with the interviewer. So far, I have given you tools in what to say. Now we shall discuss how to say them, and how to, as we say, put on the charm offensive.

There is nothing worse, we can all agree, than being sat across from a bloke who just lists all of their accomplishments and achievements in the dullest voice imaginable. When you think of blokes who have caught your attention, what is it they have done? They've made you laugh, asked you questions, and overall come across as just a sound, friendly bloke. Well that is exactly the image we are going for here. No one, if they can help it is going to hire someone that bores them within five minutes. Now I'm not saying you have to be Jim Carrey or Michael Mcintyre (I don't know any Aussie comedians sorry), but my point is you have to have some personality in the interview, even if you are sh*itting yourself.

Talk slowly, smile when possible, try and get an occasional laugh in there when possible when talking about your past experiences, and something funny that occurred in them. People always remember something funny within such as tense environment as a job interview. Sit up straight, makes lots of eye contact, and if in doubt about the dress code, always overdress.

Overall, the impression you want to give the interviewer, is that you are competent, have similar experiences that you can draw on to the job you are applying to, and most importantly, that they can see themselves working with you. Always lean on the side of appearing more relaxed than uptight, as it will subconsciously portray an element of confidence, because you appear comfortable in the environment you are in.

Apart from that blokes, I wish you all the best with your interviews, and go and smash them!