Knowing how to nail a job interview usually comes from doing plenty of them, but there are some basic tips that can set you apart. Paul McArdle, Managing Partner with The Panel Recruitment, joined Drivetime to give his tips. Listen back above.
Keeping your wits about you during a job interview can be a challenge. Trick questions, and making the perfect ice-breaker joke can all lead to stress but more often than not, McArdle said, you are your own worst enemy.
"Interviews can be practiced", he said. "The more you are interviewed, the better you get at it, but you need to practice, you need to have a clear plan before you go into an interview and that will make you more relaxed."
Feeling relaxed in such an environment might not seem possible in all circumstances, especially if it's a job you really want or feel passionate about. However, McArdle said that one relaxation technique is to focus on a "good, firm handshake" and maintain strong eye contact with the interviewer.
He also noted that "a very good interviewer will get the best out of an interviewee". Your job in that moment is to put across the best of your experience and answer what you're asked.
McArdle highlighted how "The more experienced candidates are the worst at taking that advice".
"The less experienced candidates, they've so little work experience, it actually can play into their hands very well. A lot of very good employers will hire for attitude."
Personality and attitude are the secret advantages that employers are looking for, as McArdle said that applies across all levels of hires.
Knowing what version of yourself you want to put across – or more importantly, what one you don't realise you're putting across – is crucial. McArdle noted that there are a number of categories of interviewees that some of us fall into.
The "underseller", for example, "is where somebody has got really excellent at what they do and when you're really good at something you tend to underestimate and think everyone else is very good at it as well".
The "prescriptive one" is when someone reads a job advert and "if they don't match every single thing, they don't apply for it".
On the opposite end of the spectrum, there's the "know all" candidate, who is "probably somebody who interviews a lot and thinks they know everything about interviewing. It's a very different skill to be interviewed."
"They don't take any advice either, 'No, I can do this', and you can see the car crash happening. It's happened on a number of occasions."
The 'confessor', meanwhile, begins every sentence with "to be honest with you" and brings up all the ways that they're falling short. "An interview is not a confession", McArdle said. "A lot of people lead with what they can't do."
Listen back to the full interview on RTÉ Radio 1 above.
