Interview DOs and DON'Ts

The DOs and DON'Ts of interviewing for jobs, make your next interview get off to a good start with these DOs and DONT's from Baxter Personnel.

If you’re in the process of looking for a new job, there is a good chance that you have already had one or more interviews or have upcoming interviews. As a job interview is often the deciding factor on whether you get the job that you are applying for or not, it is important that your interview is successful. To ensure that your interview is successful, it is a good idea to familiarize yourself with common practices and interview techniques.

One common mistake that is made by candidates when preparing for an interview is the assumption that all interviews are the ‘same’. Although many interviews are similar in nature and often follow a similar structure and question format, it is recommended that candidates are prepared for different scenarios and different ‘types’ of interviews. To gain an upper hand when it comes to your interview, you should thoroughly research the company that you are interviewing for and use a range of online research techniques to determine known factors about interviews at the company you are interviewing at.

Common questions that are asked during an interview include questions surrounding your professional goals, your need to succeed and other questions such as achievements and examples of various scenarios such as when you worked as a team. Practicing for an interview can make answering these questions easier and overall more ‘fluid’.

It is advised during an interview that you keep things professional in nature and avoid questions surrounding your personal life such as divulging to much information about your age, marital status or if you have children. It is also recommended that you do not ‘badmouth’ previous employers or colleagues as this will typically have a negative reflection on yourself.

If you follow the above guidelines and in addition ensure that you are dressed appropriately, it is likely that any interviews you participate in will be both successful and memorable, in a good way.