Pareto’s Interview Top Tips

Have you already secured an interview but need to maximise your chances of success?

As the UK’s largest sales development and recruitment agency, Pareto know just what it takes to succeed during this final hurdle to achieve that all important job offer.

Check out what behaviour you need to portray to help you stand out as the top candidate.

Look and sound the part

Dress impeccably and know your stuff. There’s nothing more impressive than a passionate job-seeker who knows a company inside out, so educate yourself, rehearsing and preparing answers to common interview questions.

This will increase your confidence and allow you to feel more relaxed and at ease, making you stand out as somebody an employer will want to work with.

Ask the right questions

Demonstrate your interest by asking job-specific questions, such as the career progression opportunities and the day-to-day role. Avoid anything that revolves around salary, flexible working hours and the holiday entitlement, because ultimately you’ll come across as someone who’s just after a job rather than eager for that particular company.

Remember that this is the opportunity for you to discover whether you want to work for them as well, so ask the things you want to know in order to see if the company is the right fit for you.

Be punctual and prepared

Plan your route beforehand to avoid turning up late to your interview: if you can’t make it on time this once, it’ll go against you. Prepare by ensuring that your phone is switched off and make sure you work out where to park beforehand if you are driving to your destination.

The interviewer will want to see elements of your personality, but make sure you remain professional and respectful: interview etiquette warrants a degree of formality.

Never lie

Embellishing the truth is one thing, but lying is a different matter. Employers have ways to find out about your career history, so you’re putting your credibility at risk by being dishonest.

Positions warrant different levels of experience and skillsets for a reason, so if you’re under-experienced then it may save you the undue stress and strain of being hired under false pretences.

If you need to find out more about securing a graduate job, find out more in our graduate tips section at www.pareto.co.uk.