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What are your personal strengths? What life skills do you have? As a young adult you have lots to offer, but you haven’t had time to build up much experience yet. Employers will understand this if you are going for your first job, apprenticeship, or an early career opportunity. They will ask you interview questions that help you show your strengths. These questions are designed to help you show how you approach life. If you are keen to learn, motivated to try your best, and organised in terms of your timekeeping, these are all great strengths that employers are looking for.
A lot of interviews take place in-person, where you get to meet the people you could work with. Some interviews are one-to-one, and in panel interviews or group interviews you might get to meet several people in the company. Whatever happens, it should be a friendly atmosphere.
Video interviews are becoming increasingly common. The employer should always give you clear instructions on what video software you need (e.g. Google, Zoom, Teams or Skype). Video call software is free if your interview lasts no longer than an hour. Your employer will be aware of this and will not ask you to pay any money for video software.
Interviews help employers see if you’re a good fit for the job. It works both ways, because interviews are also your chance to see if you like the work environment and decide if the job is a good fit for you. Phone interviews Phone interviews can be a quick route into a job. They may phone you and offer you a job straight after the call! You can also get a phone interview that leads to a face-to-face interview.
Group interviews can take place in assessment centres. A big employer with lots of apprenticeship vacancies might ask you to come with other candidates to an assessment centre and take part in group interviews and team activities. It’s a great way to show you can work as a team and get along with other people.
These types of interview questions focus on your practical skills, and what experience you have of doing specific tasks. As a young adult, you would not typically be asked this type of question in interviews as often, because you still need time to build up your experience and practical skills.
If you are e.g. going for a digital marketing role, then if the employer asks you what marketing software you have used, this is a competency question. Perhaps you can answer that you have used Hootsuite and Mailchimp, or that you know how to schedule social posts on different platforms like Twitter and Instagram.
What is their mission? How could you help with that? What appeals to you about how they work and what they do?
If you’re a student, you may have access to a careers guidance service where you can run practice interviews with a member of staff. Otherwise, you can always friends or family to act as the interviewer and do a practice interview with you.
Treat a practice interview as close to the real thing as you can. Afterwards, ask for some feedback. Were your answers clear and specific? Did you speak clearly and confidently? How was your body language? Did you ask good questions? Did you give full answers?
Have two or three ready for the end of the interview. They should make you look like you care about the company and your role in it, and focus less on what the company can do for you. In other words, don’t ask about salary, holidays and perks. Instead, ask what a working day looks like, how your training might work, or what previous people in your position have gone on to do next.
Prepare your interview clothes in advance so you don’t have to choose what to wear on the day. Look and feel groomed and clean. Gather everything you need to take with you in one place so you’re not trying to find that lost wallet or phone. Keep details of the time and place of interview and who you will be speaking to, if you have been given that information. Make sure your phone will not run out of juice, especially if you are relying on it to follow a travel route
Asking about salary, holiday and job perks doesn’t show you are motivated. Questions about salary can make you look like you only care about what the company can do for you.
The questions you ask at the end of the interview are your chance to show you’ve thought about the role and would make a good addition to the team because you are motivated. You care about what you can do for the company. you care about growing and learning in your role.
Say that you are looking forward to hearing from them.
Were there any you would have answered differently? When you get home, make time to reflect on how you could improve your answers to any questions you found challenging. You will then be able to answer them with more confidence in future interviews.
Let the company know if you want to accept their offer, then find out when you start and what you need to bring on your first day.
Not getting the job is a way to build your resilience and grow stronger from setbacks.
Think over your interview experience to learn how you could improve next time.
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