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

[Smurfing]

check out the Linkd In profile of who you will be working for - try and include relevant interview answers that will help them in their job/make their life easier and be another reason to hire you.

[YvaineStormhold]

Remember that they'd be lucky to have you - you're interviewing them, as much as they're interviewing you.

Make eye contact and shake hands warmly. Be smiley.

Be smart. Get rid of festival ribbons etc from your wrists, clean your shoes (if you can manage it, get a new pair - even cheap ones will look better than scuffed heels).

Don't feel that you have to rush to answer questions. If you need a bit of thinking time, say so, so that you can give a reasoned answer.

Do your research in advance - but don't quote the company website verbatim. Be subtle!

Ask questions that give you a chance to shine. Not "How much will you pay me/holiday leave will I get/are bacon sandwiches in the canteen?"

Don't underestimate the value that life experience brings when you are re-entering the job market. Anyone who has been at home with children will know all about negotiating, organisation, multi-tasking, etc, and if you have spent time brushing up your IT skills, or have kept abreast of developments in your industry through reading journals, etc, make sure you say so.

[DingleberryFinn]

Have a good answer for why you left your last job / why you are looking to move...

[southlondonbaby]

Look them in the eye and remember that YOU are interviewing them as much as they are interviewing you.

[timeforabrewnow]

Always address the person you're speaking to by looking at them directly, and try to remember to smile.

[ShinyShinyShiny]

Smile and breathe!

If you need time to think about the answer to a question then take it, it's very hard to talk and think at the same time so prioritise the thinking.

[Kr1stina]

Answer the member of the panel who asked you the question. I'm amazed how many candidates, male and female , address the men on the panel rather than me.

It's rather obvious that they have ( incorrectly ) decided that the man must be the decision maker. It never gets them the job.

Also address the panel member by the name they use when introducing themselves . So if someone says " This is Dr Jane Smith , our head of development " , DONT address her as Jane , use Dr Smith .

[Cataline]

I like to prepare everything a couple of days before. I make sure I have all the documents I need, have researched any info about the role or interview format and prepared any notes I may need.
I also choose my interview outfit and make sure it's one that looks smart and is also comfortable.
On the day I just remember to stay calm and smile!

[Sammyislost]

Pretend you're acting and being recorded for TV....it fills me with confidence so I shine with confidence! And if you 'rehearse' those facts about their company, you're sure to impress!

[paxillin]

Make yourself really big just before. Do an embrace the world spread or something, in the loos. It really makes a difference to your posture and your confidence for a while afterwards.

Have a really good answer why this job. "I was really impressed with the students' success rate, double national average/ last quarters sale figures, they defied the market/ how well your business has adapted to Stoke..." Must be a true and current success of the company to work. If you can then say that you would fit in here because of your own record of coaching students/ selling to the elderly/ being a Stoke woman, you have it in the bag.

[PB01]

It takes a lot of confidence to be able to sell yourself at an interview. Whilst you feel that you are the best person for the job, and that you could do the job with your hands tied behind your back, it is sometimes embarrassing saying how wonderful you are. We put a lot of pressure on ourselves to learn about the company/post we are applying for, and also to learn the 'perfect' answer to standard interview questions........which all get forgotten when we get nervous. The best tip in an interview, always think of a situation you have been involved in, what task you performed, and what the outcome was. No matter what question is asked, if you can relate it to something you have berm involved in you will be able to demonstrate your character, your behaviour, your knowledge, and most of all that you are the best candidate for the job.

[campocaro]

One of the best bits of advice given yo me is that the interview doent finish when you walk out of the interview room. Continue to be 'on show' until you walk out the door - a colleague of mine lost a job because she let doen her guard with another member of staff and it was fed back to the interview team...

[paxillin]

I agree, campocaro. The interview also starts before it starts officially. Don't barge into anyone in the lift, be nice to the receptionist and the office junior who might show you around before and be in interview mode with anybody you meet at the place. Many good workplaces will ask all of these people for their impressions, they want you to be a good fit and somebody who upsets everyone simply isn't.

This is also your chance to get a better feel for the place. If the junior showing you around seems really stressed and unhappy, it probably isn't a good place to work. You can see how a company treats people fairly easily. (In a bad place, people will not go to pains to hide their eye-rolling and sighs, I have ignored this once and ended up in a terrible place full of bullying and backstabbing)

[thecountrysideistooquiet]

I have had my fair share of interviews over the years and the one thing that I always try and do which may sound odd but I think of myself as a product in a super market, the interviewer is the customer. They browse, want to be informed about products on offer and to some degree base their outcome on how good the product looks. So, prepare to sell yourself, study the job requirements, prepare your ingredients (skills, knowledge, experience), ensure you look appealing (smart clothing, presentable) and make sure your product stands out to others on the shelf (ensure you have an eye catching CV). There is a lot to said for smart advertising and what better to advertise than yourself in the work market.

[EverybodyHatesATourist]

Smile but not in an exaggerated way
Check your posture
At the end of the interview thank them for their time

I see interviews as much for my benefit as theirs - do I really want to work for/ with these people? They should be lucky to have me so thinking this keeps the nerves away and gives that boost of confidence.

[FlukeSkyeRunner]

Research the facilities before hand and allow plenty of time - know where you can park, where the nearest toilet is etc so you can be unflustered and comfortable during the interview.

[Ormally]

When rehearsing answers to probable questions where you want to use examples from past work or behavioural situations, frame them in a 3-stage sequence as much as you can. This would be: What the situation/problem was, what your role was, and the result. It is very easy to miss off the third 'result' level as it probably seems very obvious to you, though a lot of times, it isn't if you were not directly involved. The most effective 'result' aspects would centre on the benefits you delivered to the situation or department - try to include numbers (e.g. people trained, pounds or time saved) if they fit.

[Teladi]

Even if you know you're going to a structured competency-based interview where you will be asked all the same questions solely based on competencies - make sure you still prepare the 'tell me a bit about yourself' and 'why do you want this job' answers because they may just go freestyle and ask you!

Agree with finding out as much as you can about the company and the interview panel.

[moneypenny66]

I think that it always pays to research the company, so that you can have something intelligent to say when they ask the dreaded question...'Why do you want to work for us? '

[WicksEnd]

Use social media to your advantage and be very aware of your own social media profile too. The company interviewing you will most likely have looked you up on social media prior to interview stage.
Does the company have a FB page/LinkedIn/twitter/Instagram? How do they use it?
Always treat every member of staff you meet with the upmost respect and your warmest smile. You NEVER know exactly who it might be.

[housewifedesperate]

I get really nervous in interviews no matter what I do and some of the pp tips are brilliant but I always take Bach rescue remedy which does help calm the nerves a bit.

[walafel]

Show an interest in the job and a willingness to work hard - sounds simple but so many people I have interviewed do not to this.

[paxillin]

For the dreaded "What is your biggest weakness" I pick something that is true, but so common the panel will suffer from it, too. For instance saying "I need to ensure I don't get distracted by emails/ phone calls, it can be tempting to deal with all sorts of small issues quickly not realising how much time this uses up". This way, you demonstrate you don't actually have this problem, because you are aware. Plus most of the panel will know the "urgent" phone calls that come in whilst working on a project.

[Jitterybug]

I try and take some examples of my work with me as a bit of a mini portfolio, to show the types of things and quality I am capable of producing (complex travel plans, website pages, press releases etc.). It has always worked really well to show them something visual and shows you have prepared for the interview and thought about it.

[Bagatelle1]

Smile and make eye contact. Make sure you listen to interviewers' names and use their name in conversation to engage them.