Whether it’s for a job or an internship or for anything in-between, interviews can be intimidating. It can be hard to know exactly what to expect, how to prepare, and the right things to say and do when in the moment. But if there’s one thing we do know, it’s that practice makes perfect. The more interviews you do, the easier they become, and the more comfortable you feel answering the tough questions. As Newish applications are all finalised and interviews begin to rollout, we thought that we would get a few team members to share their thoughts and tips on how to nail an interview, so that you can go into your next one prepared and with confidence. Check out our Newish top tips below!

1. Prepare Potential Questions

Experienced interviewees will have the classic questions down to a T – you can almost guarantee that “tell us about yourself”, “why are you right for this position?”, and “what’s your previous experience?”, will be raised at some point in any interview.

But what about the curveball questions? Viktoria from our client services team says: “An interview tip that gets me through is preparing some answers for potential questions, like strengths and weaknesses or what you could bring to the team”. Do some research and find unique questions you haven’t come across before, then have a go at practicing an answer! It’s impossible to know exactly what your employer will ask, but you can’t go wrong by helping yourself become more comfortable around the more out-of-the-box interview questions.

2. Do Your Research!

In order to really blow your interviewer away, you need to have some tricks up your sleeve. One of the age-old tricks that our HR advisor Courtney highly recommends is “to know your resume, and to research the place, too!”. It’s beneficial to know all the contents on your resume and then some, so if your interviewer ever wants to know more about a particular job you had in the past or what you did in that volunteering experience, you have the answers right there ready to go and something valuable to add on top. But one of the most important things is research! Being able to mention something particular about where you are applying and surprise them with your knowledge of their company, whether that be mentioning their mission statement or demonstrating how your values align with theirs, could be just the edge you need.

3. Make An Impression

If you want to achieve anything in your interview, it’s making a lasting positive impression on your employer. One of the ways you can make a good impression “is by presenting yourself well, maintaining eye contact, and having strong posture”, our PR specialist Ehmily suggests. Body language and the way you conduct yourself can go far in an interview, and can tell the interviewer a lot about who you are and how you are feeling. The key is confidence – “Don’t be too nervous and let it affect your interview”, she says. You only have a short window to show your personality, so don’t waste any precious minutes. Remember: “If the company wasn’t interested in you, they wouldn’t have asked you to come for an interview in the first place”. Even if you are unsuccessful, at the very least you have still put your best self out there, presented yourself well, and made a new connection.

4. Question, Question, Question!

Just about everyone on the Newish team shared one tip in common – always ask questions at the end! Courtney, Ehmily, and our PR and Socials team member Chelsea always ensure to have a few questions lined up in order to keep the conversation going and really demonstrate your interest. Some potential questions you could ask include:

  • How would you describe the culture at this company?
  • How does your company measure success?
  • Is there anything about myself that you would like to clarify or are unsure of?
  • What do you enjoy the most working for this company?

By trying these tips and tricks and practicing some of your own, you are bound to stand out to your employer, developing the tools to enter your next interview with the confidence, personality, and preparedness needed to nail the part. Best of luck to everyone who applied for a position with Newish!