To ask for some help regarding my interview

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I’ve been out of work for over 4 years due to raising my daughter alone. She has now started school so I applied for jobs. My dream job has come up and I’ve been invited for interview. However I’m feeling very nervous. I know this is normal but it’s been so long since I last had an interview and I do struggle with my nerves. I was wondering if anyone has any tips please? I’m also wondering if my job chances will be hindered as I’m a few stone overweight so feeling a bit self conscious or Aibu about that? I need some tips on confidence basically and how to come across well. Thank you

Firstly huge well done for getting an interview. First hurdle over.

Try and find/buy an outfit you feel happy with and comfortable in. Doesn't have to be expensive just smart clean and tidy.

Rescue remedy is my absolute go to. I find it really helps the nerves.

Prep some of your answers. Hood common interview questions in the field and prep what you would say. Use the STAR technique to help you. What was the situation what was th task what action did you take and what were the results. Take the notes into the interview with you.

Take a bottle of water with you. Take small sips to allow you time to think through what they have asked before you answer. Don't be afraid of asking them to repeat if you get lost or muddled.

Take a deep breath. You've totally got this. Well done and good luck!

I interview and hire people for roles. Here are some tips:

Most people I interview are a bit nervous. It's ok to be nervous. Don't feel like there's anything wrong with you for being nervous. The more you fight it, the worst it will be. Just accept it and try to do your best.

Personally, I hire for attitude and potential as much as experience (this varies a lot by role though!) I look for people who are proactive and who I think will be reliable and a good fit for the team.

I would not worry about your weight - it's not something that would cross my mind when hiring.

If they have a web site, gen up on the company and drop “facts” about them into your conversation. Research research is key.

“I’ve seen from your web site that ….”

At the end if you’re asked “any questions?” Throw it back at them “how long have you worked for (company name) ?” and
”What have you enjoyed most?”

Most interviewers like bigging up those questions.

Don't think too hard about the them and you process.

Think of it as a fact finding conversation about them/the company and what you can bring to them but just the same, what can they offer you?
Good luck! Relax and let us know how you get on.

Make sure to breathe when you're talking and consciously speak more slowly. It sounds obvious but it's easy to stop breathing when you're nervous which will make your words come out too quickly and your voice sound strangled.

When they ask if you have any questions, "What do you like about working here?" is a good one, especially if you can navigate that into a friendly chat. People love talking about themselves! It'll make them warm to you if you can build rapport.

Wear something comfortable but smart. If they care about your weight, you don't want to work for them anyway.

Google the company and find out as much as you can about them.

You can find common interview questions online so run through what you'll say. Practice what you're going to say by repeating it out loud to yourself.

It's ok to be nervous. It makes you look like you're keen to get the job, which is no bad thing.

Good luck!!

Depending on the role, they might ask competency-based questions, so as an example "Can you tell me about a time when you admitted you made a mistake". If you google competency based interview questions you'll get a good idea. Have some examples ready that could apply to those, and as a pp suggested, use the STAR technique to answer. Remember to say "I did x", rather than "we did x". Good luck, and don't give your weight another thought, they won't be interested at all.

Good luck OP 🙂Prep as much as you can but still be kind to yourself. Really hoping you get it.

Thank you all for your kind replies and advice!

Good luck OP, to be out of work for 4 years and already be getting even just interviews for dream roles is incredibly impressive. This alone points to you having a very good skillset!

I find the following really useful for interviews (some of which has been mentioned above already):

I write up a word document with the below headings and then write bullet points of key info I want to cover. Most first interviews are over Zoom / Teams now, so I have the video up to one side and the word document to the other so I can scroll through it and remind myself of ready made answers / blurb

• Brief introduction to myself (I’m xxx, prior to family leave I worked in yyyy for zzz years. I’ve spent my working career focusing on xyz and am motivated by abc with the following key skills..)
• Main responsibilities in current / last role
• STAR examples (more on this below)
• Company description & key facts (comb through their website, and use ChatGPT)
• Company in the news (just google the company name or see if the company has a news section on their website)
• Questions for the company (more on this below)

STAR Examples: I pull competencies from the job description or based on the companies values / objectives and come up with examples from my working life when I have displayed these. E.g if a job description said “required to work with a wide range of internal stakeholders”, I write up examples of times I have done just that in the STAR format. This is so useful for competency based interviews as it means I’m never “umming” over how to answer as I’ve got pre-prepared examples.
I also do this for things I’ve done in work that I’m proud of even if they don’t quite fit into the competencies for the current role, as it helps me think clearly about what I’ve achieved.

Questions for the company: obviously there’s ones which you need to know such as working hours, various policies etc. But I have some go to questions I always ask on top of these:

• what will make someone successful at this role?
• what has kept you working at company XYZ?
• what’s the best / worst thing about working at company xyz?
• what do you need most from someone doing this role?
• what are the growth opportunities? Line management potential?

Have a bottle of water by you and make sure your comfortable.

Ask for the contact details of your interviewers if it feels appropriate and follow up with a quick email thanking them for their time and noting you really enjoyed learning more about the firm and role.

Good luck!!! I really hope you get the role you want, but also please remember a job is just a job, and if you don’t get this, something new will come along. Every interview is a learning opportunity and sometimes you need to do a good few to get back into the swing of things and work out what’s best for you!