I’m a careers expert and these are my top tips for what you must do in an interview

Everyone knows that a brilliant application is just the first step towards a great job. It’s what happens after you send in your resume that counts.

But even though you know that the job of your dreams depends on your performance during the job interviews, it is precisely those crucial conversations that most candidates get stuck on.

Whether it’s nerves getting the better of you or an unexpected question from a surly interviewer, there’s nothing more frustrating than not putting your best foot forward when you’re standing in front of the decision makers at your ideal organization.

The good news, however, is that good interviewing doesn’t require a rare and innate talent. According to Gary Gamp, it’s a skill that can be acquired and honed, just like any other.

The UK-based career coach and business leader, who has worked with some of the world’s largest companies, now focuses on the plight of young people eager to get their foot in the door and build their careers.

Realizing that school leavers and university graduates often enter the job market without much guidance on how to get the job they want, he has published a book full of insider tips and tricks that can help candidates succeed.

In “Career Catalyst: Ten Secret Job Skills They Don’t Teach You At School,” Gamp, who has decades of experience training employees at major companies like AT&T and Orange Business Services, uses his real-world experience to help potential employees thrive in their careers.

In his new book, available on Amazon, an entire chapter is devoted to the interview phase of the job application process.

Here are Gamp’s top tips from the chapter ‘How to Become an Interview Genius?’:

1. PREPARATION IS EVERYTHING

“It’s all about confidence. The more you plan – and the better you understand the questions and the people you’re going to meet – the more confident you’ll be.

‘Every question they ask you, every situation that arises, chances are you’ve already practiced for it and are ready for it.

We all know the old cliché, “If you don’t prepare, you’re preparing to fail.” It’s true, and preparation makes a huge difference.

Failure is not an option, but preparation will lighten the burden and increase your chances of selection.

‘So how do you start? The best thing you can do is research the company by looking at their website.

‘If they are a public company, they should have an annual report, which you can usually find on the investor relations page.

‘On the first five pages you will see the strategy that the CEO lays out, but also the risk page, where he or she normally does the ‘dirty laundry’ and explains all the problems of the company – as if it were an internal document.

‘This will give you important insights and topics related to the business that you can discuss, which will definitely impress them.

‘When you rehearse for your interview, I recommend doing it alone, out loud, in front of a mirror. Don’t worry about feeling stupid. It’s just you and no one else at this stage.

‘If you verbalize something and feel good about it, it helps to anchor the process in your mind. And if you feel brave enough and have rehearsed well enough, do it with your partner or your friend.

“Let them fire questions at you. It’s likely that if you’ve done your research, most of the things you’ve been practicing will come up.

‘It’s important to think about the questions the company is going to ask you. Think about the role, look at the job description, and use their language to predict the questions they’re going to ask you. It’s a lot more obvious than you think, but it usually comes down to three key questions. I call this: The Horrible Trio…

• What are your strengths? It’s okay to talk about yourself and connect with what they’re looking for.

• What are your weaknesses? This is less comfortable. They might phrase it differently, but you have to be prepared for this and you have to give something away – just don’t give them the crown jewels. I always say, “I’m a very driven person and it’s not everyone’s cup of tea.”

• Why should we give you this job? ‘You should think about this carefully, it will help you look stronger.’

2. TAKE CONTROL OF THE INTERVIEW

“You have to think of your interview as a performance, because once you arrive, it’s showtime. The next bit is really important. The interview has already started the moment you start talking to the person who picks you up at the reception.

‘I don’t know who they are. They may or may not be important, but everyone involved in your interview will usually be asked what they think of you at some point, so be alert from minute one.

“The non-verbal cues are just as important as the verbal cues. You have to get your body language right. Try to look relaxed. It’s a conversation between two adults. They’re not more important than you, you’re not more important than them.

‘I call this controlling your participation. You take control of this session – because this is what you have planned.

“So how do you come across as relaxed and on your game without coming across as cocky? You have to have confident vulnerability. Vulnerable enough that you’re interested and open-minded enough to listen and learn – but not too needy.

“Then you have to be confident enough that you know what you’re doing, and that you’ve got something to offer. Your job is to find the balance between confidence and vulnerability. That prevents you from becoming arrogant.

“This is one of my favorite things to do at the beginning of an interview. If done right, it can give you a huge advantage for the rest of your time with the interviewer.

“The most important thing to do when you go in is to ask a good question at the beginning and then connect everything you do in that session to the answer. You have to find a question that applies to you, but I’ll give you an example.

“I might ask, ‘What is good for you in this role and what is the type of person you are looking for? What would make the biggest difference in making this role successful?’

‘Based on that, everything I do in this interview will be anchored back to their answer to my original question. It’s a killer question because you make an instant connection.

“We want them to realize as early as possible that we are perfect for the role. Then they will sell it to you.”

“For example, your interviewer might say, ‘We need someone who is business-minded and has a great customer experience.’ As you talk through your experience, you can then relate back to those things.”

3. NEVER BE DEFENSIVE

“It’s really important to never be defensive throughout the process. If you’ve ever watched The Apprentice, you’ll see that in the interview part they try to rile the candidate up – that’s what trips them up.

“The key is to never let the interviewer know where your goat is tied. Never let them throw you off.”

• Career Catalyst: Ten Secret Job Skills They Don’t Teach You at School by Gary Gamp is now available on Amazon, available on Kindle and paperback