Tips to ace a job interview

Once you have mastered your CV, the next step is to (hopefully) be invited to an interview to discuss in more detail your suitability for the role in question. Although interviews can be very nerve-racking experiences, there are certain things you can do, to try and stay in control and give you the best chance of success.

I have split the following article into nine different tips. Before we get into them, it is important to remember that the interviewer is not just attempting to catch you out. You have stood out to them enough that you have been invited to be interviewed. If you imagine 5 people getting interviewed for 1 job, with 100 applicants, you are already in the top 5% in terms of suitability from the interviewer.

You won’t need me to tell you how competitive a role in sport is and that is down to how good certain roles can be. For reference, I asked a bunch of different analysts what they liked so much about their roles and you can hear their answers here:

Okay, that's enough of an introduction, let’s get into the main points for bossing a job interview.

Plan your journey and arrive on time!
The last thing you want to do is to arrive late. It will set a bad first impression and it will also mean that you will be even more nervous and flustered for what is not really a good reason.

When I have had interviews in the past, I would always plan my route and factor in any traffic or delays with public transport. It's better to arrive much early and kill time in a local coffee shop than be frantically trying to find a last-minute parking space.

Remember we want to do everything we can to limit stress and planning your journey and route the night before is a great way to start.

Dress smart
For this point, I do not mean that you need to wear a full suit, but you should definitely make an effort. Many people do opt for a suit and tie (and that is great) but you can still get away with wearing a smart jumper or equivalent. An important point on your clothes is that they are clean (and ironed!) and that they look presentable.

The same goes for your shoes. Don't turn up in dirty shoes. It doesn't leave a good impression and is something we can easily get right. If (unlike me) you have a thick head of hair, maybe run a comb through it. Pretty obvious really. Turn up looking smart and presentable, it's not that hard.

Make a good first impression
So, the interviewer will be familiar with your CV by now and may well have checked you out and social media/online and even asked around about you, but this is the first time (usually) that they will be meeting you in person.

Guess what; just like when dating, first impressions matter.

On this point I would say that it is important to try and show some confidence here and believe in yourself that you do belong in the room. Give a firm handshake and have eye contact with the person you are meeting. Also, if they (or others) tell you their name, remember it! That makes a big difference too.

Sit up straight in the chair and show that you are keen to engage in a conversation.

Bring what you need
Personally I like to be prepared (and hopefully you do too) and so a few items that you may want to bring along with you include:

• Small notepad and pen for notes
• A couple of extra copies of your CV if others attend your interview that don't have one.
• a bottle of water (stay hydrated!)
• examples of your work (could be in handouts or on a tablet/laptop)

Do your research beforehand
This is a very important one. You should research the club or organisation to find out as much as you can about the role, but also, there is no harm in looking into the person that will be interviewing you too. There may be a chance that you have a mutual connection or share something in common which could help to build rapport.

You may know someone that already works at the club. This point goes for the type of club they are too. I always say that any cover letters and CVs should be tailored to the role you are going for and so it only makes sense to extend that when you finally get into the interview room.

Is this club known for working in a certain way? Can you find out something that you can relate back to your skillset?

Try to relax and be conversational
Easier said than done, I know, but the more this will come easier with practice and also if you have put things in place to be on time, make a good first impression and have done some quality research beforehand.

You may feel like the interviewer is trying to catch you out, but that is really not the case. Be friendly, and open with your responses.

Take time with your responses, try to let your personality shine through and do not LIE!

Research common interview questions
A lot of the times, interviewers will revert back to common interview questions. For example, they may ask 'how you have overcome an issue in a team before' or 'how you have used data to make a decision' etc. If you go on Google, you can actually search for common questions that you might get asked during an interview.

Why is this useful? Well, if you know what questions might come, you can already have an answer in mind!

You obviously don't need to have a word for word answer memorised, but if you have a rough idea of the answer you want to give, it saves panicking and fumbling your words when you can't think of anything. You will also come across as someone who can answer questions and think on their feet better (even though you did some prep before!)

Sell yourself!
Remember, you are here for a reason. The interviewer has thought you are good enough to make the cut but now you have to come out on top of the other few people that have made it to the same stage.

The interview could last 30 minutes, or an hour (or even more) and you need to make the most of this opportunity. You are in a room with the person that decides whether you should get the job or not. If you have followed the other steps so far then you will have made a good impression, be well researched and easy to talk to but you have to prove you have the skills relevant to the position.

What skills and passions do you have that could be relevant to the job you are now going for? Remember, always relate back the job in question. Also, don't just sit back and answer questions timidly and with little explanation. The more well versed and passionate you are about a topic, the more likely it is that you can talk around it. This should be the case for the skills you are bringing to the table.

Plan Questions beforehand
One of the points above was to research popular questions that you may be asked. However, there is another side to this. If you have had interviews before, you will have noticed that at the end, the interviewer will usually ask you if you have any questions.

Having interviewed a lot of people, far too many people do not take this opportunity, they say 'no', and get out of the room as quick as they can (maybe due to nerves?). It could also be likely that they have forgot about questions they would like to ask, or just cannot think of anything on the spot.

That's where the research and trusty notepad comes in. When asked, you can quickly refer back to your notes and ask away. Remember, useful questions only, you do NOT want to ask when your lunch break is!

I have recorded a video on this exact topic where I explain things in a little more detail, you can check that out here:

I hope this helps and remember, act cool, prepare the best you can and GOOD LUCK!

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