Edited by: Aiecher Bains
Winner of the 2020 Alumnus of the Year – Industry Excellence Award, Tanya O’Shea has been recognised for her significant contributions to her community and industry as Chief Executive of IMPACT Community Services. Tanya graduated in 2011 with a Bachelor of Psychology and competed a Master of Business Administration in 2016. As a strong and remarkably successful businesswoman who has provided support, training and employment opportunities to over 4000 people, she has also taken the time to share some job interview advice for CQUni students.
#1 Thing to do Before the Interview
Prepare. Do your research about the organisation, the role you are applying for, the team you will be working with and even the people who will be on the interview panel. Preparation is extremely important; it demonstrates that you are interested in not only the role but also the company.
#1 Thing to do During the Interview
Be yourself. Be authentic. Be clear on who you are, why you want this role, share what you have learned from the mistakes that you have made – give them some insight into the person behind the words.
My Favourite Question to ask the Interviewer
Why do you love working for this company? – This could help you understand why others enjoy working there.
One Thing to do After the Interview
Reflect. Pause and take a few minutes just to reflect on how it went. What worked well, what you could have done better, what did not go so well? Take a few notes in your phone while it is fresh in your mind.
Extra Advice
About 15mins before an interview, purposefully calm yourself down. Turn off your phone, breathe (a beautiful 90 second box breath will calm your parasympathetic nervous system), practice your power pose, prepare your voice, remind yourself how you want to show up today and visualise yourself getting this job. Remind yourself ‘I HAVE GOT THIS.’
Do you feel job-interview ready? CQUni students and alumni can access online mentoring from alumni. You can have a career conversation to ask specific questions, a resume critique or a mock job interview to practice. Following their CQUni Career Connection mentoring consultation, 72% of students felt confident or very confident to speak with industry professionals. Sing up to the mentor program at CQUni Career Connection or Visit the Alumni Mentors page for more information.
