By Edwina Langley
ou’ve got an interview, you know the drill: research the company; know the job spec inside out; and prepare answers to questions you don't even know if they are going to ask. But as job hunters typically have five interviews before they land a role (according to new stats), this means five times the intensive preparation – and a huge time and effort investment.
Give yourself the best possible chance of success by heeding the advice of these four top women CEOs.
Knowing what a company has already achieved is crucial, but your research should not stop there. Dr Anne-Marie Imafidon MBE, CEO of social enterprise STEMettes, advises that you research what the company plans to do in the future, too.
“In addition to what is in the job description and person specification, what can you find out about the company’s ambitions? In the interview, reveal the research you have done in the questions you answer and the questions you ask,” she advises.
The idea is to demonstrate you have a genuine interest in the business – beyond merely knowing the ins and outs of its website – and then to indicate how your expertise could help push the company towards its goals. Remember you could be the solution for a problem they need to solve.
It’s an interview classic: “What are your weaknesses?” Mary Bonsor, CEO of Flex Legal, looks to hire people who either give “good examples of their weaknesses” or “an honest answer about where they’ve made a mistake”.
“I’m a perfectionist” is a “nothing answer”, according to Bonsor. “Whereas if someone said: ‘I sent an email to a client I shouldn’t have done’ or ‘I sent a file and I will never do it again because now I’ve added an email checker’, then I would think: ‘She’s really explained that and would never do that again. I really believe that she’s learnt from that’.”
For every question you are asked, there should always be “substance behind your answer”, says Celia Pool, CEO of sustainable period products brand DAME. That means always providing examples to support what you say, be it a specific experience or a new idea.
Kicking yourself because you know you could have answered something in more depth?
“If you feel you’ve bogged an answer, after the interview is over send an email to the interviewer with what you really wanted to say,” she says. “It shows determination and rewrites history.”
It is not just the boss that you should aim to impress. Make a good impression with the entire team: all interactions count, whether in person or on email. It is possible other team members will be asked for their feedback, especially if there is a trial day involved.
“I used to ask my staff to ‘interview’ people on manner, approach and cultural fit,” says Lara Morgan, owner and CEO of lifestyle brand Scentered.
“Don’t just pay attention to the people who are doing the interview, ‘make friends’ with the receptionist and other people you meet on the way – first impressions are everything.”
Over half of employers have said they will continue to use video interviews even after COVID restrictions have lifted, according to new research. Communicating via a screen is considerably different to in person, and your speech and body language should reflect that. Consider your speed, says Bonsor: “I think people are more nervous of silences over a screen than in person. People speak too quickly.”
Morgan advises a practice run first.
“Many people don’t like themselves on camera, so are on the back foot from the start,” she says.
She advises getting someone to call you in advance, so you can check your positioning, the lighting, sound and connection.
“Be patient and expect time lags so that you are not talking over your interviewer,” she continues. “Be enthusiastic, but not overly animate, sometimes movement on camera is distracting.”
‘The best interviews are when it’s more of a conversation… it shouldn’t be one-sided.’
It’s easy to forget – especially if you really want the job – that interviews are a two-way street. Yes, you’re being assessed as to whether you’re suitable for a role, but you are also assessing whether it is suitable for you.
“The best interviews are when it is more of a conversation, and [the candidate has] asked lots about the role, so they can really understand it,” Bonsor explains.
“It’s always very one-sided, but it shouldn’t be. Because you’re going to be working with these people, and working for that company, and actually you need to do some interviewing back.”
Lead image by: Cultura Creative RF // Alamy Stock Photo
Once you’ve done your standard interview prep, use these CEO-endorsed tips to give yourself the edge.
By Edwina Langley
