Here’s what experts have to say...

Do your research

As well as researching the company, we advise candidates to research the person who will be interviewing them as it is important to know who you are speaking to. We’ve found that by doing this, candidates can see connections or experiences that they have in common which helps to humanise the interviewer. It is much easier to have a conversation when you know about these common threads.

Guv Jassal, Director of Washington Frank recruitment (washingtonfrank.com)

Be ready with specific examples

Candidates who just read from their resume and give shallow answers do not have the same success as candidates who can give real-life examples supporting their experience. Interviewers like to hear numbers, so be specific. Zeta Yarwood, UAE-based career coach (zetayardwood.com)

Try mirroring

You can build rapport with your interviewer by subconsciously matching and mirroring – matching their vocal tone, their facial expressions, the pace they are speaking at, their body language and their breathing. It’s about showing you are similar, because the more people see themselves in you the more likely they will like and trust you.

Check their checklist

Most companies will have a checklist of attributes and core skills that they look for in applicants. If you can find out what they’re looking for in advance, then you can tailor your application to give you the best possible chance. Amazon’s Leadership Principles, for example, can be found on our website.

Dee Clarke, Senior Manager and Head of Campus Recruitment at Amazon

Be curious

Curiosity and passion always shine through, so knowing industry trends, the biggest opportunities and the potential barriers – and thinking about solutions for them – are good steps to helping you land your dream job.

Know your message

Learn how to present what you are and what you do in short, focused statements and be ready to summarise your skills and know-how quickly. Say how you can help the organisation. Before the interview, decide in advance what are the six most important things on the employer’s shopping list, and prepare engaging stories to match.

John Lees, career coach and author of How to Get a Job You Love (johnleescareers.com)

Look like you already work there

Don’t just make sure you look immaculate, but study the style of the people who work at the organisation. If they’re in suits, be as smart as possible. If they’re casual, be smart-casual but in excellent quality clothes.

Susy Roberts, executive coach and founder of international people development consultancy Hunter Roberts (hunterroberts.com)

Show passion

Be – or at least sound – absolutely passionate about the role and have all the reasons as to why you really think you’d be a great fit to the culture of the company.

Consider the employer’s priorities

Most candidates make the mistake of focusing on themselves – their fears, achievements and experiences – but neglect to consider what the employer really wants. In an interview, managers and HR staff will be looking for alignment: do the company’s needs align with your own talent? The less you think solely of yourself, and the more you adopt a stance that reflects the employer’s concerns, the higher your chances of performing outstandingly.

Do your networking

Mentions of ‘knowing the right people’ often call to mind images of CEOs or other executives, but in my experience, there are no required levels of seniority to establishing a strong network. Instead, make it a priority to foster a group of acquaintances that have inside knowledge of your sector; like-minded folks who can share relevant information on new job openings, pass along interesting articles and share invitations to relevant events.

Biljana Kocevska Adam, HR Manager at diversified insurance and financial services group Nest Investments (Holdings)

Practice, practice

I can’t emphasise enough how important it is to practice for a job interview or assessment. For aptitude assessments like psychometric testing, there’re numerous websites where you can practice. The more you do, the better you’ll get.

Prepare, prepare and prepare again

For interviews, it’s natural for some people to be nervous. Ask a friend or family member to conduct a ‘mock interview’ with you beforehand. Practising talking through your experience and answering interview questions, even if it’s with someone you know well, will make a big difference to how comfortable you feel talking to the interviewer.

Talk about how you’d apply 0your experience to the role

While potential employers want to know what you’ve done and achieved in the past, they also want to know what makes your experience relevant to them. So, when you’re giving an example of your previous work, try to expand on this and talk about how you might apply that experience in the role you’re applying for. Mandy Hurt, VP Resourcing, Upstream at BP Ace the tests

Think ahead

Ask where you see yourself in 2-5 years’ from now. It’s well worth your time, because it can show you the reason why you chase your dream job, or it may be that it changes your idea of a dream job. Either way, it is definitely worth considering.

Conduct a personal SWOT analysis

Review your Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats. This will give you a balance of your reality and your ambitions. For example, an ambition of working as a chef may be stifled according to your location (weakness), but you are a natural chef in your home kitchen (strength), whilst there are multiple restaurant jobs going in your nearest town (opportunity), yet this is a competitive industry (threat). Face this with your own measure of ambition as a starting point – it will provide you with the steps needed on your route to your dream job. George Brown, Head of Employability and Careers at London School of Business and Finance