By Niamh Dwyer, Chairperson of the Kerry Branch of Guidance Counsellors

It is perfectly normal to feel nervous when you are facing a job interview, in fact experts tell us that a certain amount of nerves are necessary to help us to perform with energy and enthusiasm when we meet the interview board.

The challenge is to ensure that those nerves don’t become overwhelming as this can hinder you from giving your best performance. You want to sound confident - even if you don’t feel it! Start by reminding yourself that the company or organisation already believe that you are competent to do the job, otherwise you wouldn’t have gotten to interview stage. Your task in the interview is to show evidence of your skills and competencies through relevant examples from your experience, to show your technical knowledge about the role or position and to demonstrate what sets you apart from other candidates. The more confidently you can do this, the better.

Prepare in advance of the interview by carefully examining the job description and specification, research the company or organisation itself and know every detail you have included in your CV or application and cover letter. You should also read carefully any information you receive about the format of the interview. Are there a number of stages? Is it by phone, virtual or face to face? You may be told for example, that you are being invited for a competency based, technical, strengths or skills based interview. You may also be required to do a presentation or bring evidence of a completed project. While there are some techniques specific to the format of the particular interview, there are certain generic questions that you need to be ready for – for example; Tell us about yourself, What are your strengths and weaknesses, Why should you get the job over other candidates, Why do you want the job, What do you know about the company and the position, What is your USP (Unique Selling Point)? These questions may seem quite straight forward but when you are put on the spot in the interview it is easy to get flustered, begin to waffle or get tongue-tied, so the key thing is to prepare, practice and perfect the information that you expect to be asked for in the interview. It is impossible to predict exactly what you are going to be asked and you will have to think on your feet, but the more familiar you are with information relevant to the job, company, sector and yourself, the better chance you have of answering difficult questions. Use language you are comfortable with as this will help you to feel confident but make sure you include key terms that are relevant to the role.

COMPETENCY

It is fairly standard to be asked to give evidence of the key competencies and to make sure you stay on point with your answer, use the STAR technique. For example, if asked to show evidence of a time you dealt effectively with a conflict structure your answer as follows – give the situation or task you were dealing with, the actions you took and what the result was. Be ready to elaborate on what you learned from the experience and what you would do differently. You may also get scenario questions such as ‘How would you deal with an irate customer in a busy reception areas?’ Practice your answers in front of a mirror, with a trusted friend or record yourself on your phone so you can work on improving your pacing and delivery and you become used to listening to the sound of your own voice speaking confidently about yourself. This is something that people find difficult to get used to. Use positive affirmations to remind yourself of how capable you are. The first step in convincing an interview board that you are the right person for the job is to believe that yourself. Show that you are confident in your body language and tone of voice. Listen carefully to what you are being asked. Make sure you leave the interview knowing you have made the right impression. At worst you will have gained very valuable experience and at best you will get the job!

Niamh Dwyer is a Guidance Counsellor in Scoil Phobail Sliabh Luachra, Rathmore, and Chairperson of the Kerry Branch of Guidance Counsellors. She is also a Careers Advisor - For details see www.mycareerplan.ie or follow @mycareerplan on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter.