[MUSIC] [APPLAUSE] >> Hello, and welcome back. Your resume and cover letter are great marketing tools, but no amount of paper and make up for the interview present at an interview. Going into a job interview is similar to going on a blind date. Neither you nor the interviewers know exactly what to expect. As we've said before, you don't get a second chance to make a first impression. So you need to prepare well. It's an advantage if you can find out in advance who the interviewers will be or at least who they're likely to be. Typically, the interview panel will include your future line manager. So it's imperative to be aware of who the line manager is for the vacant position. This is something to bear in mind at the stage of writing your cover letter. Ensure that you have thoroughly researched this person's background in order to find a common link. Whether it be graduating from the same university, working the same organization in the past, sharing an opinion on how best to approach work issues, etc. The interview panel will be looking for a person who shares their vision. Someone who will fit in and be a valued member of the team. Appearances shouldn't be underestimated, and your appearance will consciously or subconsciously be a crucial factor in your interview success. A good appearance might not get you the job, but a bad appearance can easily eliminate you from consideration. Remember the key issue here is to fit in with the target organization. What kind of dress code do they have? If the company prefers a formal look, then you need to go for conservative business style. For men, this means a suit, shirt and tie. For women, a trouser suits or skirt and jackets, or a dress with jackets. If the dress code is business casual, then dress accordingly. For example, for men, a jacket but no tie. For women, trousers or skirt with a blouse, cardigan or jacket. Being overdressed or underdressed creates a poor impression from the outset. Be sure to have your clothes cleaned and pressed before the interview. Dirty or creased clothes will not help your case. To find out what the dress code is, you can look at the organization's website, social media, or if necessary, hang around in a cafe outside their offices a couple of days before your interview and observe how their staff are dressed. Remember to get a haircut, take care of your fingernails, shine your shoes, and shave if necessary. Think about your breath, too, be careful what you wish before the interview. And brush your teeth or chew some mints or chewing gum in advance. Think about what you want to take with you. A bag or briefcase should be of decent quality and in good condition. Remove any unnecessary things to avoid clutter, and make sure you can easily extract what you might need. You should definitely have something for taking notes, extra copies of your resume and a list of references in case they ask you for people they can contact. For each reference, give a name, title, organization, phone number and email address, as well as a short description of the relationship. For example, Joe was my line manager for three years. Together we expanded sales to five new overseas markets. Behavior is an equally important part of your self-presentation. Project, a calm, confident exterior, even if you're nervous inside. Make eye contact and be positive. Think about cultural expectations when greeting the interviewers, such as shaking hands and making small talk. Finding a balance between formality and over friendliness isn't always easy, follow the interviewer's lead and remain professional. Think about your body language. Does it portray confidence? Is your posture open or closed? Speaking about language, there are some things you should never say during a job interview. For example, you should never say obviously or of course. Implying that something's obvious, only makes the interviewer look foolish. Avoid saying we, as in our company, we did this or that. The hiring manager is far more interested in what you achieved, so talk about your personal contribution. Before the interview, spend some time thinking about your employment history. This will make it easier to answer questions by providing examples from your own experience. Make a summary of the points that you want to speak about. Finally, get plenty of sleep the night before. You don't want to come to your job interview looking sleepy and lethargic. There are three basic formats for job interviews, structured, unstructured, and behavioral. Let's take a look at each one in turn. A structured interview is where the hiring manager asks each applicant a standard set of questions, such as, why are you a good candidate for a job, and so on. These questions tend to feel quite formal, but the questions are easy to anticipate. An unstructured interview is where there are few standard questions and the interviewer is more conversational in style. Being more of a discussion of you and your suitability for the role. A typical question might be, tell me about yourself. A behavioral interview is designed to elicit information about how you behave in different situations. A typical question might be, tell me about a time you had to resolve a serious problem. Remember that as with your resume and cover letter, specific examples with quantifiable results are the most effective way of making the right impact on the hiring manager. The STAR method can help you answer almost any question without breaking into a sweat. STAR stands for, situation, task, action, result. Like in any good story, first, briefly describe the situation, the context for what happened. Then outline the task, what you had to achieve. Talk about the specific actions you took. End by talking about the results with quantifiable information. Remember that the interview isn't only them finding out about you, it's also the best opportunity you will have of finding out about the organization. It might even be the case that you decide that you'd prefer to work somewhere else. Make the most of this opportunity by asking pertinent questions about the company. We'll talk about what kind of questions later. End the interview positively by thanking the interviewers for their time. Maintain a suitable appearance of being interested in the job and flattered by their interest in you. Here you should avoid looking desperate for a job or too sure that you'll get it. It is good business courtesy to send a follow up email the day after the interview. Thank the interviews again for their time and express some positive thoughts about the company. Again, without going over the top or looking desperate for a job. In the next lecture, we'll go through standard interview questions and how to prepare for them. [MUSIC]
