Share ‘nice ‘n easy’ ways to impress at job interviews - win £300 voucher! NOW CLOSED

[RebeccaEMumsnet]

Here at Mumsnet we’re really excited about our upcoming event – Workfest 2016, which is happening on 14th May 2016. Workfest is one-day conference aimed at women who are returning to work post maternity or after an extended career break. Attendees will have the opportunity to hear great speakers, gather tips on how to hone their CV from professionals, and get fired up about starting their own business.
nice ‘n easy is one of the sponsors of Workfest 2016, and to spread the positive energy about returning to work, they want to know what would your top tips be for making a good impression at a job interview?

Here’s what nice ‘n easy have to say: “Returning to work can be daunting and to come across as confident you need to feel your best. To boost your self-confidence start by picking an outfit you feel comfortable in, rather than something you have never worn or brand new shoes that may cause blisters. Indulge by pampering yourself, especially if it has worked in the past to maximize your positive energy: a manicure, a skin treatment, a specific haircut, your favourite nice ‘n easy hair colour. We at nice ‘n easy have a philosophy that you are at your best when your hair colour is ‘as real as you are’. Finally, avoid any jewellery that you may involuntarily play with, such as a long necklace, as this may be perceived as a sign of stress. You will have enough to think about during the interview so free up your mind from all of the above, so that you are not self-conscious or distracted during the discussion.”

So, what are your top tips for feeling confident and impressing at an interview? Do you like to perfect that firm handshake, think about your posture, or have a lucky charm? Perhaps you get crisp new haircut or invest in a new outfit? Do you practice your answers to standard interview questions (what’s your favourite biscuit?! ). Whatever you do, let nice ‘n easy know.

Please add your comment or tip below and you'll be entered into a prize draw where one MNer will win a £300 Love2Shop gift voucher.

Insight T & Cs Apply

Workfest 2016
Workfest 2016 Tickets

Do your research about the employer and tailor and question at the end but make it sound convincing

Smile at the interviewers, maintain good eye contact, have clean fingernails, clean hair and polished shoes

Do a few relaxation exercises just before you go into the interview.
Run your tongue in a circular movement around he front of your teeth. 5 times in each direction. This will relax your jaw which will be locked if you are feeling stressed .
Shoulder rolls also help relax. Lift you shoulders above your ears and drop a few times to release any tension in your neck.
Have a good yawn and blow your nose.

Go into that interview thinking: "they'd be lucky to have me"
Read your application form before you go in! You will probably have all the buzz words and important points, you need to make written down already.

Clean, neat professional clothes, attention to detail in your application.

Take a copy of your CV and any supporting materials along, I worked in a coordinating / proposals role, so being prepared and organised are key job skills.

Read up on the company and have some interesting questions ready, ie. if it's family owned ask about the history of the company or if it's a larger company ask about the structure.

Perform a skills analysis so that you can identify a true area of strength and weakness in case they ask. You can have time then to frame a weakness properly (this article is good www.careercast.com/career-news/handling-what-are-your-weaknesses-question-job-interview)

Try to relax and be yourself.

Good eye contact, smiling calm demeanour and a slow and steady response to questions. Mainly they want to see if they can work with you.

Prepare well - make sure you research the company and are up to date with relevant issues in the area you are working in. Review the job specification and prepare answers of how you will fulfil this. Sell yourself!

Smile, use a 'power pose' before you go in (worth a google) and pause to think about your answers before rushing in.

Also, consider that it's as much about you working out if you like them as the other way round!

Preparation - research and role play beforehand
Be sincere.
Dress appropriately.

Always remember you are sussing them out as much as they are sussing you out - this helps you feel more confident.

Conversations about salary happen rarely, but many women under-rate themselves, know what you are worth, it's not the time to be self-depracating.

Send an email thanking any potential employers afterwards.

Engage with your interviewers,smile and nod:)Dress elegantly,but not too overdoing it.Have some inside knowledge and ask questions when needed.

Look professional, smile, make eye contact and be pleasant to everybody you meet.

I know of someone that would ask his secretary (who showed in candidates) for her opinion before anything else. If she wasn't keen, it was a no - no matter what!

Research research research. Find out all you can about the business/company you are interviewing with. Who are their competitors? Where is their market place? What are their core values and passions? Reflect on how your own skills will fit within their company & give clear concise examples of this.

Read the website of the company
Think about the sector you are applying for, think of the challenges ahead in it, new changes, what is happening.
Try and think of a few personal things from your CV work related, when you worked in a group, how you handle conflict, if you line manage how you do it, think of successes or how you overcame obstacles.
Be prepared, I sit on interview panels, and those that know the job role, have thought about the sector (I am in education), relate the skills they have shine through.
Those that do not know our organisation, looked at the website are not as convincing, and seem unprepared.
Smile, engage with panel.
Don't worry if you don't know an answer, just ask for more time.
And in today's job market think around equality and diversity and how this might apply to your role, it might come up as a question.

The best question at the end is "is there anything else that you'd like to know about me?" - gives you and the interviewer a chance to go over any areas they think you might not have answered thoroughly. Another good question is 'what's your favourite thing about working here?' And 'what do you see as the top priorities for this role in the next 3-6 months/what will be the biggest challenge for me in this job?' (In the later, you've already planted the idea in the interviewer's mind that you work there.

I always prepare notes and take them into the interview with me. Rarely need to refer to them but good to have and read beforehand.

SMILE! Don't drink too much coffee if it gives you the shakes, always accept the glass of water at the beginning. If nothing else, taking a drink before answering gives you a few more seconds to think.

I like to send a thank you email to the chair afterwards, however I am aware some people find this annoying.

Remember that if you've got to the interview they think you are suitable for the job, so be confident and positive in your answers and questions

Dress smartly, pay attention and smile

Do your research about the company and the job. I've lost count of the number of applicants I've interviewed who haven't had a clue about either.

Prepare some questions of your own. If you're being interviewed by someone you'll be working with ask the what they enjoy about the role, what the challenges are, what the team is like. Show an interest and you'll stand out from the crowd.

Be friendly. It's difficult to tell from an interview how good you'll be at a job but it's easy to tell whether you'll fit in or not and that's really important too.

Have clean hair.

Manicured nails.

Generally opt for navy or black.

Keep make up neutral.

Feel and act confident and happy !

Be prepared.
So,dress appropriately for the field you're interviewing for. If you're not sure what the appropriate dress is then ask a recruitment agency, even if you haven't applied through one.
Use the agency to help you prepare for the most basic interview questions that most people ask and have some answers prepared in advance.
Competency based interviews are the norm now but if you haven't job hunted in a while you might be unfamiliar with this format. Get someone to help by asking yiu questions so you can have some general answers ready.
Research the company, nothing says lazy, unmotivated candidate then knowing nothing about the company.
Remember your appearance matters, there's no need for make up or heels if you don't usually wear them, unless they're job appropriate, but be clean and tidy and make sure your hair isn't a windswept mess.

I have found that often its better to treat the interview like a meeting rather than a test. Your role is to help them understand and not miss any good points you can bring to the role, so they can at make a decision with full information. This also helps you feel better about rejection as it wasn't 'failing the test' it was that they had all the information and decided fairly, but against you.

This approach means that they get a sense if what you are like to work with. I even take notes and draw diagrams to explain things.

Of course this depends on the role and the culture of the organisation a little, but I find this approach helps me feel more relaxed, and the interview more 'adult-adult' which helps the outcome.

Know your stuff before the day - do lots of research and try and come up with something unique to say/ask. Make sure you are in plenty of time - it is better to be early than late. Look the part - smart & professional. Dress to make yourself feel good - you will come across as more confident that way. Above all, be yourself - fakes will always be outed!

It's very rare that you get the first job that you apply to; you will be interviewing left, right and centre. I had a 'first interview' outfit and a 'second interview' outfit - it was one less thing to worry about, trying to remember if they'd seen me in this before.

One the same tack, hold some questions back for the second interview.

Research, research and more research on the company. I hate being on an interview panel where people haven't even taken the time to do the basic look up of the team that they will be working with. Anything that leads to industry wise knowledge is also fab and gives a great impression.

I interview a lot. Don't worry about your outfit too much as long as it is smart and I would suggest fairly conservative (I know some interviewers who will turn someone down if they wear a short skirt or their bra is showing). Saying that I did turn someone down recently though because they were chewing gum throughout the interview!

I have never known an interview not to ask 'why do you want this job (or similar' and other common questions, what do you know about the company, profession, course you are applying for. If you can't be bothered to prepare for these questions then you don't deserve to get the job!

Always remember it's a two way street and you are interviewing them too. Smile and make eye contact.

In appropriate, mention something in the news/new bit of research relevant to the sector. Makes you sound well read and up to date.

Check yourself in a mirror beforehand - a full length one if possible, but at the very least, the mirror on your compact to make sure you have nothing in your teeth, or a smudge on your cheek.

Arrive on time, take your time with answers and do your home work