6 simple tips to help you ace your next job interview

Perfecting your interview skills is an ever-evolving process and in today's competitive job market, there's more reason than ever to hone good techniques. After a year of pandemic-related curveballs, job seekers may face uncertainty in their chosen fields but many industries are persevering.

Nick Misener is a partner at Venor, a recruitment firm based in Halifax and focuses on IT recruitment. He says that weathering the pandemic has brought challenges to the Canadian job market but that there has also been positive growth for specific industries. "We've seen tourism, hospitality, and bricks and mortar retail spaces face some adverse impacts and that's resulted in a hit to the job market. On the flip side, we're seeing certain niche retail markets, health and wellness, and large internet technology companies entering periods of accelerated growth, due to digital transformations across the board," says Misener. 

Misener's one of two recruitment experts who sound in here with their best advice on what to do before, during and after your next job interview if you want to make a good impression.

Do your research

First and foremost, Misener recommends job candidates do their research on the company as well as the interviewer, if possible. He says it's important to be able to express why exactly you're interested in the position. "It's all about your preparation. If you anticipate the questions coming, know your resume, your accomplishments, [have] thought about what your past managers may say about you, have researched the company and the job ... you're going to feel more confident and more at ease."

If it's a virtual interview, Misener also recommends testing everything ahead of time including familiarizing oneself with the platform, testing audio, video and internet strength. 

Relax before the interview

Once you feel prepared, it can be tempting to just keep cramming — but trying to relax before the big interview is beneficial. Misener says that doing something simple, such as a little physical activity or getting fresh air, may help to clear your headspace. 

"Getting outside and doing some physical activity, early in the day, to release some endorphins is a great idea," he says. 

Share real life stories

Brett Sparks is vice president, people, at Vancouver Coastal Health, and he says that the key to acing an interview is to share real life stories and past work experiences. Sparks says that current topics in interviews may include discussing how a candidate works as part of a team, how a candidate displayed initiative in the past and how they dealt with conflict in the workplace.

"Most good interviewers are going to leverage some type of behavioural-based interviewing. What that really boils down to is asking you to relate real life experiences that highlight things you've achieved or are accomplished in," he says. "To ace that interview, what you want in your hip pocket, is five to 10 really good, authentic stories that highlight those very topics. And the nature of those stories should really boil down to a few key things. You should highlight the situation and the issue or opportunity within that situation. If you do this, you're going to be able to talk authentically on experiences you've had."

Explain what you've learned

During interviews, Sparks says that most prospective employers are simply trying to get a sense of who the candidate really is. When asked "Can you tell me about a weakness you have?" he encourages candidates to share how they've turned a "flaw into a feature" and learned from it. According to Sparks, it's insightful when a candidate owns up to past workplace mistakes, too.

"I will often ask people to tell me about a mistake they've made and bonus points, the bigger, the better. I'm not asking that to trip someone up. I'm asking that to get a sense of self-awareness and if someone is a learner," he says. "If honesty and ownership are highlighted and if you are able to answer that question openly, that's a good thing. Take that as an opportunity to show great self-awareness."

Practice eye contact

Meeting with a whole team of prospective employers and colleagues in a single interview or virtual interview is another possible scenario candidates are likely to encounter in 2021. Although it may feel daunting, making a good first impression is important and Sparks points to a simple way for a candidate to make a connection.

"Be intentional with the eye contact. This holds true for a face-to-face interview, but even on the Zoom calls, be sure to make eye contact with that person who asked you the question. I would also say try to be democratic with that eye contact for the panel interview and share smiles freely," he says. "A lot of it is about first impressions and just letting your humanity shine through."

Always follow up

While many experts recommend sending a thank you email after an interview and following-up, Sparks says he really only sees candidates do this about fifty per cent of the time. 

"Looking at this from the candidate's seat, it's a perfect opportunity to highlight a few key traits that you want us to know about. It's an opportunity to reinforce your professionalism, keen interest in the organization and the role," says Sparks. "Send a brief note, thank the individuals you spoke with for their time and re-express that interest. If you send that email a couple hours after the interview, it shows timeliness as well."

Originally from Nova Scotia, Nicole Trask is a North Vancouver-based writer who has contributed to BCLiving, Montecristo Magazine, Basenotes Magazine, Halifax Magazine and Flare, among others. She has a background in the film industry and enjoys writing arts, lifestyle, and human interest stories. When Nicole is not writing, she can be spotted running, biking or splashing around with her incredibly active toddler. You can follow her on Instagram and Twitter via the handle: @nicotrask.