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The first interview for a new job can be both exciting and nerve-wracking. It’s your chance to make a lasting impression, showcase your skills, and determine if the role is right for you.
This will guide your preparation and also help you mentally prepare for the upcoming interview.
Preparing thoroughly is key to increasing your confidence and maximising your chances of success. Here's a comprehensive guide to help you prepare.
1. Understanding the Interview Format
Before diving into specifics, it’s important to understand the format of the interview. Are you facing a panel, one-on-one, or a technical interview?
Clarifying this with your recruiter or the hiring manager can help shape your preparation.
If the interview is online / virtual - Can you plan to use a quiet space where you won’t be distracted? Have you tested your WiFi connection? Have you considered sound quality?
If the online is in-person are you familiar with where you are going, how long it take to get there and typical traffic?
Tip: Using the Waze app and editing your arrival time can help with predicting traffic volume ahead of time (if you are driving).
Tip: Have you considered doing a ‘dry run’? Travelling to the interview location before the interview, to become familiar with the journey?
2. Answering "Tell Me About Yourself"
This is often one of the first questions in an interview. It can seem deceptively simple, but many candidates fall into the trap of reciting their CV. Instead, aim for a balanced, structured response that showcases both your professional journey and personality.
Tip: Split your answer 50/50 between your professional background and personal attributes. Highlight your most relevant experiences and achievements, but also share a bit about what motivates you outside of work.
Tip: Practice an ‘elevator pitch’ style answer to this question beforehand, time it using a device.
3. Research the Company & Role
To truly stand out, you must show a deep understanding of the company and the role you’re applying for. Start with the company’s website, but don’t stop there—look at recent news articles, check their social media, and review the LinkedIn profiles of your interviewers.
Action Steps:
Company Research: What do you know about the company's history, culture, and recent achievements? Demonstrate genuine interest in their values. Look for press releases an annual statements to help you (if interviewing for larger businesses)
Role-Specific Research: Read through the job description. Identify 3-5 key components that align with your experience and prepare examples to discuss.
LinkedIn Research: Look at your interviewers’ LinkedIn profiles. It can give you an idea of their professional journey and shared connections, offering a potential icebreaker.
4. Use the STAR Technique
Many interviewers ask behavioural or competency-based questions, such as "Tell me about a time you solved [X] problem at work." To answer these effectively, use the STAR technique:
Situation: Describe the context.
Task: Explain the challenge.
Action: Detail the steps you took.
Result: Share the outcome, quantifying your success where possible.
Prepare 2-3 examples from your career for each of the competencies mentioned in the job description.
This method of answering questions ensures that your answers are concise and on-topic. Even if a question comes up that you haven’t specifically prepared a STAR response to, you can use the STAR technique in the moment to keep you on track.
Preparing for STAR technique responses isn’t wholly to try and predict what questions are going to come up at interview, it is just as much about training the muscle memory to be able to respond in the moment.
5. Prepare for Common Interview Questions
Some questions come up frequently in interviews, such as:
"What is your biggest weakness?"
"Why are you interested in this role?"
For weaknesses: The advice on answering this question ranges dramatically depending on who you speak to. Many say to turn a negative in to a positive, however, this is a long-known technique that can sometimes seem disingenuous. Rather, what we have found lands well at interview is acknowledging your short comings, showing awareness and highlighting what work you put in to combat this shortcoming.
For role interest: Keep your answer positive and focused on the company’s mission, culture, and the specifics of the role itself. Hiring managers want to hear that you're excited about this job, not just any job. Avoid listing all of the reasons that makes you want to leave your current company / role.
TIP: For questions around why you are looking to leave your current role, beware not to fall in to the trap of listing everything that you are unhappy with in your current role. Instead, discuss the positive aspects of the new company / role that you are excited about. What is drawing you in, as opposed to what is pushing you away.
6. Prepare Your Own Questions
Asking thoughtful questions in an interview is just as important as answering them. It shows you’ve done your research and are serious about the role.
Here are some topic areas to consider:
Future Plans: What are the company’s long-term goals and how does this department fit in?
Culture: How would you describe the company culture? What keeps people at the company?
Technical Queries: Ask about specific systems, tools, or processes used by the team.
Challenges: What are the main challenges the company faces in health and safety (or your specific field)?
For senior roles, ask about higher-level business topics, such as financial performance or sustainability plans, to show you’re thinking strategically.
7. Handling Interview Nerves
It’s natural to feel nervous before an interview. Identifying how nerves manifest in you—whether through over-talking, fidgeting, or forgetting details—can help you manage them better.
Tips to stay calm:
Practice deep breathing before the interview.
Do a mock interview with a friend or colleague.
Focus on having a two-way conversation, rather than feeling like you’re being tested.
The more prepared you are, the less nervous you are likely to feel
8. Focus on Strengths and Areas for Development
Many interviewers will ask about your strengths and areas for improvement. When discussing strengths, link them back to specific examples using the STAR technique. As for weaknesses, frame them as learning opportunities and highlight how you’re working to improve.
What employers are really looking for when answering this question is self-awareness and a willingness to work on your areas of development.
9. Know the Logistics
Preparation isn't just about answering questions—it’s about the practicalities too.
Ensure you’ve thought about:
Interview Dress Code: Is this an in-person or virtual interview? Dress appropriately, including for video calls.
Logistics: If it’s an in-person interview, plan your route and aim to arrive 15-30 minutes early. If it’s virtual, test your technology ahead of time.
10. Post-Interview Follow-Up
Once your interview is complete, remember to call your recruiter or contact the company directly to provide feedback. This also gives you a chance to ask about the next steps and show continued interest in the role.
If you have access to the hiring manager's email address, send them an email to thank them for their time and reiterating your interest in the position.
BONUS - Be human!
Smile, be positive, make small talk in between walking / exiting interviews. Whilst it is easy to robotically focus on preparing & conducting an interview, remember that when everything is peeled back - this is simply a conversation between human beings. There is a lot to be said for positive body language, smiling, kindness, humour and the way that you make someone feel when they are in your presence.
Final Thoughts
Preparation is key to acing your first interview. Use these tips to ensure you’re fully ready to present the best version of yourself. Remember, an interview is as much about you assessing the company as it is them assessing you, so be sure to ask questions and consider how the role fits into your broader career goals.
Good luck!
About this series
This 10-part series in how to land your perfect role is a published form of the advice that we are offering safety, sustainability & quality professionals day-in-day-out.
Our team can only have so many conversations in a day / week / month / year. By publishing this series, we are hoping to reach and add value to professionals across the industry and beyond that we haven’t yet had the pleasure of working with.
If you would like to get in touch with us to find out how we can provide tailored career advice and opportunities - please visit www.search-recruitment.co.uk and get in touch.
To keep up-to-date with each instalment of this series - follow us on LinkedIn at linkedin.com/company/search2
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