Job interviews for young adults

• Research the company – look up their website and social media and find out their values
• Check the job description – most of the time, interview questions will be based on the job description, so having examples of how your skills and experience meet these requirements will help to strengthen your answers
• Read through your application again – what you’ve written on here is the reason you’ve been invited to an interview, so it’s good to refresh yourself and be prepared to go into more detail
• Plan your journey – make sure you know where your going and how you’re going to get there. Look up bus/transport routes and work out timings. You might even want to do a test run beforehand
• Sort out your clothes – make sure you have suitable interview clothes (more on that below) and that they fit properly.

• Get your clothes ready – make sure they’re cleaned and ironed
• Make sure you have money for parking/public transport
• Get your documents ready – if you’ve been asked to bring ID or certificates, make sure you have these ready and in a neat folder
• Double check your research and documents – but don’t leave it until the last minute
• Get some sleep – try and get a good night’s sleep so you’re feeling positive and ready to go

• Eat – try and have a good meal so you’re not feeling hungry or tired in the interview
• Give yourself time to get ready – you may need to set an alarm, but you don’t want to be rushing around as this will add to the stress
• Leave with time to spare – you definitely don’t want to be late, but you don’t want to be too early either. Aim to arrive 10 minutes before your interview is due to begin
• Make sure you’re clean – have a shower, brush your teeth and clean your nails. If you’re looking and feeling good, you will feel more confident going in to your interview
• Avoid last minute cigarettes – mints won’t cover it
• Introduce yourself confidently and politely – remember, you’re being interviewed from the moment you arrive

Southampton City Council is working with Bodyswaps to use a combination of Virtual Reality and Artificial Intelligence to support people to master job interviews.

We’re giving people the opportunity to use our Virtual Reality headsets to develop their interview techniques and build confidence.

• Discover a three-step strategy for preparing yourself for character-related questions in a job interview
• Practise techniques for managing anxiety and banishing self-critical thoughts before an interview
• Identify your non-negotiables and character strengths
• Learn how to advocate for what you need to land that job on your own terms
• Practise analysing interview questions (including curveballs) to identify what the interviewer is looking for
• Discover a failsafe three-step strategy for answering behavioural questions in a job interview
• Craft winning answers using the C.A.R. (Context, Action, Result) technique
• Practise your verbal and non-verbal communication skills when delivering responses in an interview

Find out more about Bodyswaps.

If you’d like to book a session to use Bodyswaps:

Call: 023 8091 7585

Email: employment.support.team@southampton.gov.uk

Drop in to our Work Club at Central Library every Thursday between 3pm and 5pm

You’ll generally want to dress formally and in professional clothing for most interviews.

• Research the company – get a feel for what the company is like. Office based roles may require formal attire, whereas you wouldn’t be expected to wear your best suit for a construction interview
• Wear comfortable clothes that make you feel confident
• Avoid revealing clothing or clothes that don’t fit properly
• Make sure there are no stains, holes or marks
• Don’t overthink it

Men:

• Two-piece dark coloured suit
• White or solid-coloured shirt
• Plain tie
• Black trousers
• Polished shoes (not trainers)
• Dark coloured socks (not white)

Women:

• Two-piece dark coloured suit with dark trousers or dark knee-length skirt
• White or solid-coloured blouse
• Closed toe shoes (try to avoid very high heels)
• Nail polish should be a neutral colour

If you are unemployed and going for an interview, Timpson have a service where they will clean your interview clothes free of charge. This service is available in 500 locations nationwide.

• Take your time and think about what you’ve been asked before answering
• Don’t worry if you don’t understand a question – ask for it to be rephrased or clarified
• It’s ok to bring notes or a CV in with you – just make sure you use them as a guide and don’t read directly from them
• It’s normal to feel nervous
• Keep your body language positive
• Never assume the interviewer fully understands your experience – give lots of examples and full explanations

STAR is an acronym to help us structure interview answers. It is especially useful for answering questions about experience of certain situations (e.g. “Tell me about a time when…”).

STAR can be used in interviews, application forms and covering letters.

• Situation – set the scene by choosing an example relevant to the question
• Task – what was your role in that situation? Be specific to your roles and responsibilities
• Action – what did you do? Give lots of detail and examples
• Result – what was the positive outcome? This might be increased sales or time being saved. What did you learn?

Body language is how we describe non-verbal communication. This can be anything from facial expressions to posture and it has a big impact on how we’re perceived in interviews. In fact, what we say only accounts for 7% of how we communicate with people. That’s why it’s important to be aware of your body language in an interview.

"When communicating, what we say accounts for 7%, our facial expressions and body language account for 55% and our tone of voice accounts for 38%" – Professor Albert Mehrabian (1964)

How to use body language to your advantage

• Do: Make eye contact to show you’re paying attention
• Don’t: Slouch – sitting forward or leaning back makes you look relaxed and uninterested
• Do: Use you hands – gestures show enthusiasm and make you come across as engaged
• Don’t: Touch your face – playing with you hair or rubbing your face can make you come across as bored
• Do: Smile and nod – you want to show you have personality and are paying attention
• Don’t: Cross your arms or legs – this can sometimes look aggressive

Video interviews are becoming increasingly common, even before the Covid-19 pandemic. Here are our top tips to help you feel more confident about your next video interview:

• Find a quiet and well-lit space with no distractions
• Make sure light is facing you, not behind you – this will stop your face being covered by shadow
• Test your device’s webcam, microphone and internet connection before the interview
• Treat it like a face to face interview. Dress smartly and try to avoid any bright or stripy clothing, as this will interfere with the camera and distract you and the interviewer
• Sit comfortably – your webcam should be level with your eyes and you shouldn’t have to lean forwards or backwards
• Sit in front of a clear background – avoid sunny windows or distracting wall art
• Remember the interviewer can see you at all times. Maintain eye contact and positive body language

What to do if things go wrong?

This is still relatively new technology, and with lots of people still getting used to it, things might not always go to plan.

• Make sure you have the interviewer’s phone number. If the technology fails, you can still complete the interview by phone
• Don’t panic – the interviewer will understand. They’ve probably experienced technical difficulties themselves before
• Only worry about what you can control – if outside noise causes a distraction, apologise and wait for it to stop
• If you’re struggling to hear the interviewer, or if their connection is bad, politely let them know so they can fix it

The Employer wants to know how ambitious and committed to the job you are. Think about your long term goals and overall aspirations. Show the employer you are keen to develop.

The Employer wants to know about your work history and what experience you have. Don’t worry if you don’t have much previous work experience. Focus on what you do have, and show them you’re reliable, determined and hardworking. Remember to talk about your transferable skills and experience – this can come from work, school, volunteering or home life.

Employers value team work since the majority of jobs will require you to work in some sort of a team. Think about what makes good teamwork, such as communication, clear direction and diverse skills. What can you contribute to a team?

The Employer wants to know if you’ll be a good match for their team. You’re not just an employment robot – employers want to know more about you as a person and whether you’d work well in their organisation. Remember to keep it positive and show you’re a well-rounded individual.

This tests your problem-solving skills and gives you a chance to show that you can think on your feet. You can’t always prepare for these, but having a good idea of what the job involves will really help you to come up with a good answer in the shortest time. Remember to use the STAR method to structure your answer!

Yes! If an employer invites you to ask them a question, make sure you do. Maybe you’d like to know about training and development or perhaps you’d like to know more about something you found out when researching the company. It’s good to have these questions prepared before the interview. Some questions you could ask are:

• What’s a typical day like?
• What training do you offer?
• Who will I be working with?
• How much time will I spend doing…?
• How do you see the role developing?