Interview Tips

How to prepare for your next job interview

Interviews can be daunting to deal with, whether you’ve been doing interviews since your very first job or have never needed to do a formal interview in your field.
To make this process a bit easier for our candidates, we have come up with an interview guide so that you have a better idea of how to handle things before, during, and after the interview.

Before the interview

Practice and prepare

Here are some simple ways to prepare for interviews that are useful regardless of what type of position you are applying for.

Prepare answers for typical job interview questions so you have strong responses in advance.
Know your strengths, weaknesses, and accomplishments so you can talk about these in interviews and sell yourself better.
Have examples of situations where you have succeeded in your career to highlight your value to the interviewer. Stories are relatable and memorable, and they’re a great way to demonstrate your skills and promote yourself.
Practice interviews with friends and family so that you can be more confident with your answers. This can help with your body language so if you can film this, it can help as well.

Know the company

If you have done your homework and investigated the company before the interview, you can avoid asking obvious questions. Find out about the company, the structure of the dealership, and your interviewers by talking to your Teamrecruit consultant as well as looking at the company website and social media presence. This should give you insights that will make it easier to explain what you can bring to the company and why you would like to work for the dealer.

The day before and day of the interview

Make sure to plan your interview outfit before the day of the interview so that you’re ready to go on the day. It’s important to dress to match the company culture but when in doubt, it’s best to wear formal business attire.

Bring a spare copy of your resume with you to the interview just in case. In addition to this, it can help to have some notes with key information to review just before the interview such as your interviewers’ names, titles, and relation to the position.

Make sure you allow plenty of time for the interview as well as transport options to and from the location. Research parking or other transport options in advance so that you can ensure you arrive early and don’t have to rush to the interview. Aim not to walk into the building more than 10 to 15 minutes early though, as this can come across as impatience and an imposition to the interviewer. When arriving at interviews, 30 minutes early is too early, 10 minutes early is on time, and on time is late.

During the interview

Body language

It’s important to display interest both in the interview and the job during the interview itself by being polite and confident. You can show that you are actively paying attention by nodding, making frequent (but not unbreaking) eye contact with all interviewers, and asking questions when relevant.

Pay attention to your posture as well, as slouching can make you appear bored with a situation.

What to say and not to say

As well as being prepared for the questions that you are expecting from the interviewer, make sure that you have prepared some questions of your own about the company and position. If you have nothing to ask, let them know that they have answered the questions you had.

Be sure to direct questions to all interviewers present, regardless of what their position is. This demonstrates your ability to communicate with all levels of employees.

It’s best not to bad mouth previous positions, companies or employers during the interview. This can give the interviewer a negative impression of you regardless of what happened during your previous employment. If you have had negative experiences that you believe will be discussed during the interview process, it is best to have a talk to your consultant to see how this is best addressed.

At the end of the interview

Finish the interview by thanking the interviewer for their time and shaking their hand firmly. Before leaving you should clarify what the next steps will be, whether only successful candidates are contacted, and what the timeline for a decision is. Make sure you have contact information for the appropriate contacts so that you can follow up regarding the decision.

After the interview

Within the first 24 hours

Make sure that your referees are aware to expect a call from the employer as soon as possible. Give them a heads up about what kind of position it is and any points you’d like them to mention so that they feel prepared to be contacted.

Send a personalised thank you email off to the interviewer within 24 hours. This can be an opportunity to recap your strengths and address any awkward moments or questions you had difficulty within the interview. It helps you stay on top of the employer’s mind as well as express your gratitude.

Assess how you went

Now that the interview is over, think about what went well or not so well during the interview as well as anything you can clarify for the employer either in the next interview or the thank you note. You can use this information to practice and improve for any future interviews.

As well as assessing your performance during the interview, it’s also a good time to assess how you feel about the company, position, and interview now that you’ve completed this step. Consider whether you think you’d be a good fit for the position and if the company aligns with your career goals.

Following up

If the employer has given you a timeframe in which they will be making their decision, make sure to follow up if that time has passed. However, make sure you pace your follow ups so as not to appear confrontational or desperate. Contacting them more than once a week will annoy the employer, so try to be patient.

If you’ve applied for a role through Teamrecruit, rest assured we will follow up for you and advise you of the outcome.

Considering sending a tailored LinkedIn connection request a day or two after emailing your ‘thank you’ note. This should briefly express your thanks for the interviewer’s time and your interest in the role.

If you don’t get the job

Unless the interview made an offer on the spot during your interview, don’t quit the job search. Consider checking out competitors in the area as well while you wait to hear back.

If you don’t get the job, make sure that you thank your interviewers for their time and consideration regardless. You can then ask for feedback and if they may consider you for any future roles.