Edited by: Aiecher Bains
Daniela Galofre graduated from CQUniversity in 2016 with a Master of Human Resource Management. Now working at the International College of Queensland as an International Student Recruitment Officer, she shares her job interview advice with CQUni students.
#1 Thing to do Before the Interview
Search for the company’s website and LinkedIn profile. Also, look for the people that work in the company on LinkedIn and try to get as much information about the person that is conducting the interview. Usually, you received an email with the name of the person that will conduct the interview, so it is useful to do a research on that person.
#1 Thing to do During the Interview
Keep calm and think before you reply. Sometimes they are not looking for the perfect answer but how you manage the question. Try to be yourself, be honest and if you do not understand, ask questions. Be conscious of your body language, for example if you are constantly moving your legs or feet and the placement of your hands and arms.
My Favourite Question to ask the Interviewer
Depending on the position you are applying for you can ask who your supervisor will be, why the last person left the job, and what the major challenges you may face to be successful in the role.
One Thing to do After the Interview
Make some notes on the things that went well for the future and rethink some answers you consider can be better. Stay calm, do not overthink. If you do not hear from them in the period of time they gave you, maybe make a follow up call just to check.
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.
I never feel ready for an interview. I wonder if it will ever go away. I’ve had over a dozen interviews, really online interviews, and each one has been stressful, and after each one, I feel disappointed that I didn’t perform at my best. But that’s just my self-criticism, not that I really screwed up.
I was also afraid to ask questions. I hope that I will become more confident with time.