‘Interview’, the word itself may spark nerves, anticipation and even excitement.

Preparing for an interview can always be quite overwhelming, especially if you don’t know where to start. Whether you’re a recent graduate stepping into the professional world, a seasoned professional seeking a career change, or someone looking to land their dream job, interviews can feel like navigating through uncharted waters.

The good news? With the right preparation and mindset, you can transform those butterflies in your stomach into confident strides towards success.

In this blog post, we’ll unpack five game-changing strategies that will help you survive your next interview and truly shine. These tips are your roadmap to presenting the best version of yourself, turning those nerve-wracking moments into opportunities to showcase your unique talents and potential.

1. How to present yourself

Your presentation is more than just words – it’s a powerful communication tool that speaks volumes before you even start answering questions. The moment you walk into the interview room, you’re telling a story about yourself through your body language and appearance.

Dress for Success

Professional attire isn’t just about looking good – it’s about feeling confident. Choose clothing that makes you feel powerful and comfortable.

Professional attire includes, shirt, tie, heels, blazer, etc., ensuring comfort and neutral colours.

Body Language Speaks Volumes

Your non-verbal communication can be just as important as your verbal responses: eye contact, hand gestures, smile and greetings, tone of voice and body language.

Remember, presenting yourself is an art. It’s about creating a holistic impression that combines your professional appearance, confident body language, and genuine personality. Practice these techniques, and you’ll walk into your interview feeling and looking like the ideal candidate.

2. STAR Method

Turn your experiences into compelling stories.

The STAR method is your secret weapon for delivering powerful, structured responses during behavioural interviews. It transforms ordinary answers into memorable narratives that showcase your skills, problem-solving abilities, and professional growth.

STAR is an acronym that stands for:

Situation: Set the context of your story

Task: Explain the specific challenge or goal

Action: Describe the precise steps you took

Result: Share the outcome and what you learned

For example, when an interviewer asks, “Tell me about a time you handled a difficult situation,” you can respond using the STAR method to create a compelling narrative that demonstrates your capabilities.

By practicing and refining this method, you’ll be able to turn interview questions into opportunities to showcase your unique skills and potential.

3. Have examples in mind

Walking into an interview with a mental toolkit of compelling examples is like carrying a secret weapon. Interviewers aren’t just looking for generic responses – they want concrete proof of your skills, adaptability, and professional capabilities.

Ensure your examples are relevant, always refer to the STAR method, and include key skills developed, such as leadership, problem-solving, teamwork, adaptability, communication, etc. Include any quantifiable results to show the impact you have made, but do not sound scripted.

Avoid providing too many irrelevant details, vague or generic stories, or oversharing personal information and fabricating or exaggerating experiences.

Here’s an example,

Interview Question: “Tell me about a time when you had to solve a complex problem under pressure.”

Situation: During my role as a marketing coordinator at TechInnovate Solutions, we were midway through a critical product launch campaign for a new software platform. Just two weeks before the scheduled launch, our primary graphic designer unexpectedly resigned, leaving us with incomplete marketing materials and no immediate replacement.

Task: I was responsible for ensuring the marketing collateral would be ready on time, maintaining the quality our clients expected, and preventing any potential delay to the product launch. This meant finding a creative solution that could preserve our timeline and campaign integrity.

Action: I took immediate steps to address the challenge. I reached out to my professional network and identified two freelance designers within 24 hours, and developed a streamlined approval process to expedite the design finalisation.

Result: Despite the unexpected setback, I completed all marketing materials 3 days ahead of the product launch deadline and received positive feedback from the design team and leadership for proactive problem-solving. This saved the company approximately $5,000 in potential rush design fees.

4. Company research

Stepping into an interview without researching the company is like sailing without a compass. Your preparation can transform an ordinary interview into an opportunity to showcase your genuine interest and professional alignment.

Before your interview, aim to answer key questions: What services do they provide? Who are their main competitors? What recent innovations have they launched? What makes their company culture unique?

This demonstrates that you have a genuine interest in working for the company, and you have gone above and beyond to understand the current industry dynamics.

5. Have questions in mind

Preparing questions for an interview is more than a formality – it’s your opportunity to demonstrate intellectual curiosity, genuine interest, and strategic thinking.

Always have a diverse arsenal of questions prepared. Start with broader company-focused inquiries that explore the organisation’s vision, current challenges, and future trajectory. These might include questions about recent company initiatives, upcoming projects, or the organisation’s strategic goals. Prepare backup questions that can be easily adapted if your initial questions are inadvertently answered during the interview.

Researching your interviewer can provide unique opportunities for meaningful dialogue. Before the interview, explore their professional background on LinkedIn or the company website. Understanding their role, career path, and recent achievements allows you to craft personalised questions that show you’ve done your homework. For instance, if they’ve recently led a significant project, you might ask about their experience, challenges they’ve overcome, or insights they’ve gained.

During the interview, your most powerful questions will emerge from active listening. Pay close attention to the details mentioned by the interviewer and prepare follow-up questions that demonstrate your engagement and depth of understanding.

Remember that questions are a two-way dialogue. They’re not just about gathering information, but about establishing a connection, demonstrating your potential value, and determining whether the organisation aligns with your professional goals and personal values.

Summary

Your interview is not just an evaluation, but a conversation where you showcase the unique professional narrative that only you can tell.

Remember, confidence is not about knowing everything, but about being prepared to learn, adapt, and shine in every opportunity presented to you.

All the best!

***

Big thanks to Tanzila Ahmed, one of our BSc Economics students, for writing this blog!

Remember: if you need careers support, your Careers Team is only an email / a message away!

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