Just like any military operation, having a successful job interview requires preparation, time and focus. This job interview may be the first job interview you’ve had for years, or ever! And it can be nerve-wracking, but try and remember it’s a great way to showcase your skills and experience, gain confidence in your abilities and find out whether the company and the role is the right fit for you. So where do you start?

Prepare, Prepare, Prepare!

Do your homework
Make sure you understand the breadth of what the company does and what the job you are being interviewed for. You can’t walk in and cuff a job interview sadly! Nobody is expecting you to be an expert, but you must show the employer that you have done your research.

  • Visit the employer’s website, find out what the company does:

    • What are the different parts of the business?

    • What is their mission statement?

    • What are their core values and how closely do they align to yours?

  • If you have access to it, read their annual report and find out how the company is performing:

    • How did it perform over the last three financial years?

    • What challenges does the company and sector face over the coming years?

    • Where does the job you’re applying for fit?

  • Has the company signed the Armed Forces Covenant? If so, what has it pledged to do? Is it actively recruiting ex-military people?

  • Look at news articles, read their blog and social media posts to get a real insight into the company you could be working for. Find out about recent news stories that have been published about the company that would be suitable to discuss at the interview.

  • Use LinkedIn to gain an insight into your interviewer/s and the company.

  • Find out who their competitors are.

Understand your skills

Understand how your skills, qualifications and experience translate to the job role

Make sure you have analysed the job description and the job’s requirements so you understand how your own skills and experience make the right candidate for the role. This will most certainly be one of the questions an interviewer will ask – so make sure you know the answer!

Ask yourself:

  • What are my strongest attributes? How can I demonstrate them?

  • How are my skills a perfect match for the role?

  • What examples of using the required skills can I give?

  • Why do I want this role?

Rehearse, prepare, rehearse!

It’s not quite practising your best man speech in the mirror, but it’s so important you do run through some practice interviews, you don’t want to be caught out on the day. So how can you prepare? You must be prepared to answer, with confidence, a range of questions on yourself, the role, your skills and your career ambitions.

Actions:

  • Be ready to talk about yourself and your career aspirations.

  • Research Competency Based Interviewing and STAR (below) method of answering.

  • Situation: Describe the situation or challenge you faced

  • Task: Explain the objective you were responsible for achieving

  • Action: Detail the skills you used to accomplish the task

  • Result: Share the outcome and impact your actions had

Examples of STAR method questions:

  • Tell me about a time when you had to overcome a challenge at work.

  • Give an example of a time you made a mistake within the workplace.

  • Describe a situation where you showed strong leadership.

Read: The Ultimate Guide for Preparing for a Company-Based Interview 

Read: The 10 hardest interview questions and how to answer them

Presentation

Plan what you are going to wear, what to take to the interview and how you are going to get there.

This may sound patronising but making sure you look the part – and arrive on time is so important!

  • An interview will be the first time an employer is meeting you so it is important to dress the part, look clean and be tidily groomed. We advise you to wear business attire – and make sure your overall appearance is professional.

  • Research which method of transport will be the most reliable for getting to the interview location – if possible recce the location beforehand and make sure you arrive at least ten minutes before your interview slot.

  • Switch your phone off and if possible, leave it in your car or coat pocket.

  • Ensure you take the required documentation. As a minimum it is advisable to take photo identification, a copy of your references and your education/qualification certificates.

  • Always take two copies of your CV. The interviewer should have it already but if they don’t have it to hand, it looks great when you’re able to hand them a copy and have one to reference yourself. Also print off a copy of the job description and highlight key points, make sure it is visible to the interviewer so they can see that you’ve done your research and highlighted the skills you have.

After the interview

Plan what questions you are going to ask

At the end of an interview, an employer will ask if you have any questions. This is a great chance for you to show the employer you have done your homework – and prove you really want the job. So make sure you have some questions to ask.

If you haven’t already done so, make sure you have registered with SaluteMyJob – and for more top tips and advice, check out The Saluting Post.