EXCLUSIVEAs the boss of a top recruitment firm, I've helped millions of people get interviews. These are my ten tricks to nail a job - including the sure-fire hit when they ask: 'Any questions?'
A job interview can be a genuinely life-changing conversation. How you perform in that 30 to 90 minutes will determine what you do for a living, which in turn will shape what you do for much of your time on earth.
We spend one-third of our adult lives at work (with half of the remaining two-thirds spent asleep), so if you end up doing something you don't enjoy, a large part of your existence is negatively affected.
Your job will also determine your income, where you live, a large part of your social life, your standing in your community and even potentially your life partner – nearly one in five of us meet our spouses at work.
Consequently, people who do well in job interviews tend to do well in life.
At Reed, we deal with some 100,000 job applications a day, and have helped millions through the interview process.
So many people over the years have told me that they left interviews feeling that they had been under-prepared, that nerves had got the better of them and they wished they'd had a better idea of what questions they might be asked.
But as scary as it can be to meet your destiny in a job interview, you are at least told about the meeting in advance and given every chance to prepare. To an employer, a job is a problem to be solved, and you need to make sure that you are their preferred solution.
From a lifetime spent working in recruitment, here then are my top ten tips for a successful job interview.
James Reed, CEO of Reed - the UK's number one recruitment company - has revealed all on how to secure your dream job during the all-important interview stage
1. Hone your CV
Our research suggests that, typically, employers won't spend more than seven seconds looking at an individual CV. These days, they may even be sifted using AI. You now have a very limited opportunity to win over your target audience.
A CV has one function: to get you in front of someone you want to meet.
There is no one-size-fits-all solution for the perfect CV, but it should always be clearly formatted and short enough for a recruiter to scan quickly. Most importantly, it should be tailored to the role you're applying for.
The first thing on your CV should be a personal statement - an essential way to stand out from the crowd. It explains who you are, what you're offering and what you're looking for. Aim to prove why you're suitable in one short and succinct paragraph.
Then include all of your relevant work experience, listed with the most recent first. Include your job title, the name of the organisation, time in post and your key achievements and responsibilities.
Next should come sections on your education and any relevant hobbies and interests. If you need to explain a career change or reasons for gaps in career history, make sure you do so.
Remember: never base your interview preparation entirely around the contents of your CV. By definition, a CV is all about your past achievements. Your interviewer will be looking forward to a future they likely cannot make out at this point.
2. Send a speculative job application
Actually getting a job interview these says is quite hard. Vacancies have been declining in the UK economy for a record 27 consecutive months and I fear that trend will continue for some time yet.
I was talking to a guy in young middle-age last week who had applied for 90 jobs through LinkedIn and other channels. He had only heard back from one employer and that was with a rejection. One of the pieces of advice I gave him was to go back to the future – decide who you want to work with and then send them a CV or letter through the post, regardless of whether they are advertising any suitable jobs.
Employers now get so many approaches online and by email but have very little on their desks in terms of letters or paperwork. If you want someone to know you're interested in working with them, this is a good way to get their attention - and show some initiative.
If you don't hear back, write again, and say you're surprised not to have had a response and would love to meet in case there are any openings now or in the future. Show some chutzpah, it's attractive to an employer.
3. Look at how you can improve yourself
It's never too late to learn new things and develop new skills. Reed has 110,000 courses online. Many are free and those that cost money have an average price of £12, so it's relatively easy to supplement your CV and get new certificates or qualifications. If you're looking to move into a new area, this is particularly important.
For example, we offer a level 2 certificate in adult social care – which is free – and could open up a whole new career. Doing a course can also be a good way of testing out a new area and seeing if it appeals to you.
James Reed says there is no one-size-fits-all solution for the perfect CV - its role is to get you sat in front of someone you want to meet
4. Playing poohsticks
Like in a game of poohsticks, where players throw sticks upstream off a bridge and the winner is the one that is first to the other side, finding a successful career means identifying the fast-flowing water.
Which parts of the economy are moving in an exciting and dynamic way and hold the most potential? Which are the fast-growth industries that will prove resistant to trends such as AI?
You want to make sure you're dropping your stick in the best possible place - where personal progress is propelled by structural change. At the moment, those areas include education, green energy, healthcare and medicine. Previous growth areas – tech, for example - aren't doing so well now. If you choose the right industry, you don't need to be the best employee or the best manager - that fast-flowing water will move you forward.
5. What to wear
Many people tie themselves in knots deciding what's appropriate to wear to an interview. Shorts, tracksuit bottoms and flip flops are never a good idea.
But, equally, you don't want to appear in a pinstripe suit and tie at many workplaces these days. Hybrid working has made lots of workplaces more casual.
My advice is to go one level up from what you would be wearing every day if you got the job. This means having a look at the website to see how people working at the organisation you're applying to tend to dress.
6. Show enthusiasm
It may sound obvious, but it's vital to come across enthusiastic from the off in any job interview. For employers, enthusiasm is infectious and you need to demonstrate it throughout the process.
Show interest in the business or organisation you're interviewing for. That means making sure you're aware of any recent initiatives, big hires or growth plans that have been announced. Spend a couple of hours trawling through the news for the latest information on your potential employer.
If I'm interviewing someone at Reed, I'm impressed, for example, if they know that we have recently opened two new energy academies to train the next generation of green engineers, and that we see this as a key growth area. Or if someone has taken the trouble to find out that I've just launched a new podcast – interviewing other business leaders about what makes them tick – then they're going to score points.
7. Commitment is important
Demonstrating your commitment to showing up, being there and being part of a team is crucial. If your first question to your employer in an interview is to ask how many days a week you can work from home, don't expect them to be impressed.
I'm not against flexible working, but most employers now expect staff to show a dedication to the office at least for a fair part of the week. Particularly if you're a younger worker, or someone making a career change later in life, showing an eagerness to be around and learn from colleagues is really important.
So, instead of asking how much time you'll spend at home, ask how much time you'll be in the office - and whether you can spend more than the minimum required.
One young man I was working with recently got a job which required a minimum of two days a week in the office. He asked for my advice, and I suggested he went in every day, which he did. He was soon promoted to a more senior position and got a pay rise.
8. Be ready for the 'strengths and weaknesses' question
There are only so many variations of the same basic interview questions – and this is a classic. Don't say something flippant when asked to identify your weaknesses. Everyone has strengths and weaknesses, and sometimes the weakness is the flip-side of a strength.
One of my strengths is that I'm a driven individual who likes to get things done. The associated weakness is being impatient and occasionally impulsive, and that can lead to mistakes.
You should always talk about how you seek to mitigate the weakness that you admit to. In my case, I do so by surrounding myself with people who have different qualities - including some who are more cautious.
9. Be prepared to be asked about your core values
Companies, like people, have values. If you get this question, the interviewer really wants to know whether your personal values match up with their organisational ones.
In order to stand out, it's vital to know what the organisation's values are. I recommend committing some time to their website or reading interviews with the boss to understand more.
At the Reed Group, all 11 of our companies are created with the purpose of 'improving lives through work', to help work work better for everyone, and I'm always impressed when a candidate demonstrates that they know this and are aligned with it.
To get across the finish line, provide evidence to back up what you say your values are. If your values are empathy and collaboration, tell an anecdote about the time you helped out a colleague with personal problems or worked through a weekend with the team to get a special project completed.
10. The right parting shot
At the end of almost every interview, the interviewer will turn the tables and invite you to ask questions of your own. The important thing to understand is that despite outward appearances, this phase of the interview isn't really about gathering information about the company or your role.
Instead, this is a moment to demonstrate you are knowledgeable about the company, have been paying attention to the conversation, exhibit some personal charm and close your case as the best candidate for the job.
First of all, never say you have no questions at all, demonstrating a lack of curiosity, disinterest in the job and company and lack of social graces. Also avoid questions you could easily have found the answer to on the company website – that will only advertise that you aren't properly prepared.
Instead, try to link your questions to topics that came up earlier, as in: 'You mentioned that you hold an annual sales conference. Is there scope in this role to eventually get involved in planning that event?'
Another tried-and-tested question is to ask what success would look like, and how it will be judged. That shows you are already thinking about how you would seek to do well in the position being offered.
- Why You? 101 Interview Questions You'll Never Fear Again by James Reed, chairman and CEO of Reed – the UK's number one recruitment company – is published by Penguin.
