If you’re going through the interview process for a new job, it’s essential that you look and play the part in order to show your potential employer how much you want the role. This can be accomplished by your actions and what you say, so be thoughtful throughout the whole process and prove that you are right for the job.
If you want to stand out from the other applicants, looking keen can go in your favour but there are ways to accomplish this in a professional manner. Here’s our 6 tips on looking keen:
Research
Always prepare well for your interview. The more you know and understand about the company (and who you might be working for) will be impressive if you’re asked any questions or have a chance to add any further information.
Be careful not to look too big-headed, there can be a fine line in giving too much information, but an interviewer will take kindly to you having done your research before you get there. It also makes conversations easier as you’ll have a basic knowledge of the company as you are being told about the role and the business.
Be available
When you are offered an interview appointment, you need to be available to take it. If you’re keen for the job, you need to be keen to rearrange prior arrangements which could potentially get in the way of you achieving that. Yes, companies understand that you may have prior arrangements, but they will probably have dedicated a day or two to the interview process and will want applicants to be available during that time-slot. If you’re not available when they request to see you, it can be portrayed that you’re not really interested in the position.
Leave plenty of time
It’s better to be early for an interview than late.
Plan your route prior to the day and allow plenty of time for things that could get in the way. Any number of things could make your journey longer than expected, from roadworks, to accidents, to family emergencies - factor everything you can into your journey and make sure you leave enough time just in case.
If you’re late to an interview, even for a valid reason, it will be seen as unprofessional and probably unacceptable. They may even take your name off the running list from that point onwards. Are you keen? Be there early.
Give good body language
Not everyone is aware of their own body language but someone that is interviewing you will be aware of the vibes that you give. Your body language says a lot about who you are, how confident you, how honest you are, and whether you are really keen for the job. You can give away a lot from a single motion or eye signal and an interviewer will probably looking for them!
Prepare responses
You’ve done your research, you’ve got your body language right, now it’s time to sound confident and prepared. By preparing responses ready for questions not-yet-asked, you can appear confident whilst giving your enthusiasm a boost. Although you won’t know what questions you’ll be asked beforehand, there are standard questions that most employers will ask. Therefore, if you’ve got suitable answers ready, you will omit the sense of panic and not-knowing.
As well preparing responses, you can also prepare a few questions for when you are given an opportunity to ask a question, usually at the end. This again makes you look prepared and keen in learning more about the role.
Follow up
After you’ve been through the interview, and presuming you are still keen on the position, it’s a good idea to follow up a short period afterwards to let them know that you’re interested in the position if they decided to offer it to you. You may think this makes you look ‘over-keen’ but sometimes companies take longer than normal to decide on a candidate. If the decision is tied between two players and you show initiative in contacting them to thank them for the interview and give more reason for them to think about you over the other interested party, you’ll be in with a good chance of success.
These are just a few ways to prepare for an interview and to show how keen you are to a prospective employer. If you’re keen for a position, your manner will usually portray that. Just be careful to be professional and not over-confident in the process.
If you’re in the automotive industry and you’re looking for a new role, we have a wide number of vacancies available. Autoskills work with many larger organisations and brands which can provide you with a variety of different career opportunities. If you’d like to find out more, feel free to get in touch.