Counting Down to the Big Day

Your interview for your frst proper job is here! Breaking down the run-up to the interview into a series of manageable chunks and actions can really help a lot.

Quick grooming tips

For gentlemen:

• The clean-shaven look is always a safe bet. Get rid of stubble or wispy facial hair • Keep your hair neat and make sure that your fringe doesn’t spill past your eyebrows • Don’t be afraid to accessorise! Go for a solid watch or a simple pair of cufinks to complement your outit • Don’t overdo the cologne and afershave

For ladies:

• Keep your nails in neutral or natural colours – glaring colours or designs may unnecessarily distract interviewers • Make sure to style your hair so that it stays in place and out of your face! • If you plan on wearing jewellery and make-up, keep things subtle and simple. You want your personality – not your accessories – to shine through!

Face-to-face interview + video interview

One week before The night before

Start by getting the dress code right

Objective: Figure out how to look the part of an impressive candidate. It doesn’t mater if it’s virtual or physical – your interview is a chance to show how you can ft into a company, and this includes your appearance.

Your clothes should be clean, fted and pressed. Be sure to cover up any tatoos. If you drink a lot of cofee or smoke, make sure your teeth are stain-free. Prepare everything needed in advance

Objective: Have everything you’ll need ready to go so you won’t panic the next day. Whether your interview will be inperson or over video call, hang your interview outit out in the open so you won’t have to waste tme stressing out about what to wear on the day itself.

If you’ll be going for a face-to-face interview, don’t forget to pick a handy, compartmentalised document bag or folder to store your stuf in! Prepare two additonal printed copies of your resume for additonal interviewers who might show up unannounced, too.

Face-to-face interview

2 hours before

Depart for your destination

Objective: Arrive at the interview venue with plenty of time to spare. Trafc generally has a strange way of going against you when you need to get somewhere in a hurry.

Leave early to arrive at the locaton before your appointed tme. Remember that when it comes to job interviews, arriving “on tme” is tantamount to arriving late.

Face-to-face interview + video interview

30 minutes before

Arrive at the premises and get comfortable with your surroundings/Log on to the interview platform and get comfortable with the platform to be used

Objective: Decrease your initial stress and get into a positive frame of mind. For a face-to-face interview, arriving a good 30 minutes before your appointment will aford enough tme and space to draw breath and get to where you’re supposed to be comfortably.

If your interview is set to take place virtually, get onto the chosen platorm and familiarise yourself with it beforehand. Afer you have had a look at its features, practse how you would connect with your interviewer over the camera, such as making eye contact with the camera to speak instead of only focusing on the video feed.

Face-to-face interview + video interview

10 minutes before Crunch time

Meet and greet the interviewers

Objective: From the very start, treat the interview as a meeting between two parties, not a oneway interrogation. There’s usually a short explanaton of how the interview will be structured. Commonly, the interviewers will begin with an overview of the company and the role you’re being interviewed for.

This preamble is the most “nonjudgemental” part of the interview, so enjoy it and take the opportunity to ask some smart questons. Demonstrate your skills

Objective: Use your innate skills and experience and put the know-how gained through this magazine and other sources to good efect. Introductons are usually followed by the most tme-consuming part of the interview: questons to fnd out whether you can do the job and, just as importantly, whether you would have the motvaton to do a good job. Finally, you’ll get the chance to ask your own questons.

You may also be given a short test to complete before or afer the interview. This could be to establish the level of your skills pertnent to the job, or a more general evaluaton of your preferred working style. Follow any instructons carefully, work out how much tme to allot to each part of the test and focus your whole atenton on the task.