Interviews. And my 5 tips on how to own it.

Interviews are scary.

They are challenging and force you outside of your comfort zone.

If you are anything like me, you start preparing for them and thinking about them weeks in advance, just to make a few pivotal changes to what you want to say the day before.

We live in unprecedented times, where nothing is the way we have known it all our lives.

Working remotely has changed the way we interact with each other. Gone are the days of flying to Johannesburg for an important interview if you can have it from the comfort of your home.

I am well aware that available jobs and interviews are something that seem almost impossible in the current environment that we are living in, but I do hope that for some of us that do still have interviews during this time, that this will be helpful.

As a third year audit trainee, this is the first time in a few years that looking for new employment is something that I need to think about.

During the past few weeks I have had a few interviews that challenged me in new ways.

I want to share some key points that I learnt during this process.

1. Do your research

Make sure to research the company that you are applying for, as well as the specific division.

While this might not be asked directly, it helps you to gain a better understanding of the culture, as well as what your role will entail.

Use LinkedIn and do research on the interview panel. Find out everything you can about them ranging from understanding what they do, what their passions are and their education.

2. Seek the advice of those you trust

If you are required to prepare a presentation, share it with people whose opinion you trust. They can give advice and guidance about things you have not thought of before.

Present and practice the interview with someone so that you can get comfortable with hearing your own voice, leaving time for introspection based on the comments you receive.

3. Be yourself

This must be on every list of advice ever given, but it really is true.

The interview panel is looking to employ someone that will fit into their team.

If you are uncomfortable or stressed, take a deep breath, and answer the question truthfully.

There might be some difficult questions which you do not know the answers to- be honest!

Rather be yourself and tell the truth than try to portray someone else.

4. Stay Calm

Whenever I am stressed and need to talk in front of a large group of people, my voice changes and falls into a rhythmic pattern of speaking (Nana NA na-NA na-NA). This is a clear give away to those that know me well that I am stressed and not myself.

To work on this, I focus on one person during the interview / presentation / speech and pretend that there are only the two of us having a conversation.

This calms me down, and also ensures that my voice remains conversational and does not fall into the rhythmic trap.

Before an interview I do a few breathing exercises to calm me down and focus on what lies ahead.

The approach we use to calm our minds is different for everyone- do your own thing! However, it is of utmost importance to ensure that we are calm and fully present.

5. Know and use the relevant technology

The one great thing that happened as a result of working and interviewing from home is that you can wear your PJ’s until 20 minutes before the interview.

Remember that your outfit is still important, and that you need to dress appropriately for the interview.

What is important is that you are sitting in a well-lit room where the acoustics are good for you to be heard by others on the call.

Ensure that the area behind you is clean and neat and not full of clutter.

It is also important to be comfortable with the video platform that is being used.

If you are going to present something, ensure that you know how to share your screen and still be able to see your presenter notes.

If you need dial in details for the call, ensure that you have it on hand in order to easily type it in to the access link.

One final idea is to have a mock call / test call around the same time of the day as the interview in order to hear how loud your surroundings are, to get comfortable with the technology used, as well as with presenting your presentation or answering the questions.

I am by no means an expert, and can only give comments on what I have learned on my own journey.

My thoughts and points are definitely not a comprehensive list, and only things that I have gathered through my experience.

This list is bound to change and be updated as the working environment and my experience evolves.