Making a good impression at an interview is essential to land the job you want. Senior Careers Advisor Geoff Barrow gives you invaluable tips and hints to make sure you stand out.

Few people attend job interviews without a specific objective in mind. In the workplace, if we wish to meet our objectives we will work to understand them and plan accordingly. These same basic principles should apply to job interviews; yet too often they do not.

Bayside Group Chief Executive Office, Pam Dew, has twenty five years experience in the recruitment industry as a consultant, trainer and manager. Understanding selection criteria and effectively preparing for an interview is critical to making a good impression, explains Dew.

Preparation

Preparation may seem like obvious advice, yet it is surprising how few people attend interviews fully prepared. As most interviewers will expect you to know about their organisation, it is useful to research the company, their history, values, future strategies and market position.

Furthermore, reviewing your strengths in relation to the selection criteria and listing specific examples to demonstrate them will enable you to more effectively answer a range of questions. However, an interview works both ways and provides you with the opportunity to gather as much information as possible in order to make an informed decision.

While the interviewer is making their assessment, you should be determining your interest in the role, the organisation and how it fits with your career goals, says Dew.

Here are questions you might ask:

• What does a standard day in this role involve?
• Ideally what skills/attributes are you looking for in the successful applicant?
• Where is the organisation heading over the next 12 months?
• What is the next step in the recruitment process?

Understanding the selection criteria

It is important to understand the recruitment criteria and identify what employers are actually looking for. Behavioral questions are commonly used by interviewers to gain well rounded information. They require you to draw on past experiences and provide specific examples in order to demonstrate key competencies and attributes.

Many candidates will explain their experience, but fail to take this opportunity to promote their specific strengths through examples of behaviors and achievements, says Dew.

To request a copy of the Bayside Group's Interview Guide email enquiry@baysidegrp.com.au.

Bayside Group is APESMA's recruitment arm and help members to find employment that assists in developing their career.