How Students Can Be Interview Ready Preparing for a job interview can be a daunting experience, especially for students entering the workforce for the first time. However, with the right guidance and tools, young job seekers can build confidence and make a great impression on potential employers. One excellent resource to support this preparation is the Interview Ready Careers Pack, available at Career Guidance Charts. Here’s how students can be interview ready: 1. Research the Role and Company Understanding the job and company you’re applying to is crucial. Take the time to visit the company’s website, learn about its values, and read the job description carefully. This knowledge will help you answer questions more effectively and show genuine interest in the role. 2. Dress for Success First impressions matter. Even for entry-level positions, dressing appropriately demonstrates professionalism and respect. The Interview Ready Careers Pack provides guidance on appropriate attire, helping students select clothing that suits different job roles. 3. Practice Common Interview Questions Interviewers often ask similar types of questions, such as:
4. Develop Strong Communication Skills Clear communication, eye contact, and a firm handshake all contribute to a positive impression. The Interview Ready Careers Pack includes tips on body language, tone of voice, and active listening, which can help students refine their communication skills. 5. Showcase Transferable Skills Even if students lack formal work experience, they can highlight skills gained from school projects, volunteering, sports, or extracurricular activities. Emphasizing teamwork, leadership, problem-solving, and time management skills can make a big impact on employers. 6. Prepare Questions for the Interviewer Employers appreciate candidates who show curiosity about the role. Questions such as "What does a typical day in this job look like?" or "What qualities make someone successful in this position?" demonstrate initiative and enthusiasm. 7. Follow Up After the Interview A simple thank-you email or message expressing appreciation for the opportunity can leave a lasting impression. It reinforces a student’s interest in the role and highlights their professionalism. By utilizing resources like the Interview Ready Careers Pack, students can develop the skills and confidence needed to excel in job interviews. Preparation is key, and with the right approach, young job seekers can take their first steps toward a successful career with confidence. Check out our poster selection here. Our easy to read guide to interview success covers all the key components of preparing for an interview. The guide covers interview formats, typical questions and top tips for preparing for that interview. We cover telephone, technical, video, group format interviews and more. Some of the questions we answer in this guide include:-
The publication comes in A5 size, landscape format, 24 pages, saddle stitched. Available in single or pack sets. Contact us for more units. #guide #interview #success #support #career #change #employability
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![]() According to industry surveys, 66% of workers between 18 and 34 are currently in the job market looking for opportunities. If you've applied for work before, you're probably aware that looking for and securing a job is not as easy as it seems. Besides perfectly refining your CV, you must prepare for a job interview and impress your potential future employers. Although there's no single recipe for success at job interviews, you can increase your chances of getting an offer by developing these seven skills that will best prepare you for that moment. ComprehensionThe art of listening is an essential skill in any walk of life and never more so when you are sitting in front of an interview panel. You need to understand the question in front of you. Some of the questions you can expect at most job interviews are: "Tell me about yourself", "What are your strengths and weaknesses?" and "Why do you want to work with us?" If you're prepared to answer these questions and what the interview is getting at you can lessen your anxiety during the actual meeting and ensure that your answers make sense and are coherent. You can search for tips online on appropriately answering each type of question to guarantee that you satisfy their query. CoherenceLogically, planned and well thought out answer that connects your experiences and skills with what the employer is seeking. That is a coherent answer. If you have thoroughly reviewed the requirements and scope of the job and connected the tasks and responsibilities to your previous roles or transferable skills you are more likely to produce a coherent answer. This simply is taking the time and effort to look at the role, person requirements with who you are and what you have achieved. You need to be that best match for the company. In addition it is good practice to research the reputation and recent projects of the company you're applying for. Aside from gaining a favourable first impression, you'll get to understand the company's mission and vision, allowing you to know your values align to theirs. ConnectionBuilding rapport is an essential skill in life when you meet a stranger or someone you need to connect with for the first time. It's not easy but whilst the interviewer will want to put you at easy early on in the interview, by perhaps asking some light questions, you also want to be building rapport. It simple steps this can be done by smiling, nodding, leading forward slightly, making good eye contact with who ever is speaking. It's not a difficult task but it might surprise you how many people fail to do it. Gratitude and appreciation are all keys to building rapport as you are valuing their time to listen to you and to give you this opportunity. Who knows when you are the only one who actually said thankyou at the end. That could be enough to put you ahead of another candidate. If you are able to do some deep research on an interviewer it may be you have some common ground or interest and if the occasion arises you might be able to chat about this. Take care! This can be a risky strategy if you are a novice in this area and they are an expert. You could be made to look foolish. ClarificationAnswering a question without fully understanding what the interview is going to undermine your ability to land the job. Asking clarification questions is acceptable in the interview process so long as you don't ask it for every moment. For example, "So what you are asking is..." is a method you could use. It also demonstrates that you heard the interviewer but want to clarify what it is they are getting at. Towards the end of the meeting, your interviewer will likely ask you if you have any questions. Although they're not mandatory, they help you look enthusiastic and engaged with the prospect of working with them. It also allows you to clarify anything about the job that seems vague to you. You can ask about what's a day like working in the company or ask them about the organisation's work culture. Remember to avoid asking questions that focus too much on what the organisation can do for you. And unless they initiate the question, save your queries about compensation when you get the offer. ConcisionThe ability to be concise in the interview will enable you to waffle through answers and demonstrate not only your grasp of the question but that you can communicate your points effectively. Waffling or digressing is not only a waste of time but demonstrates you haven't grasped the question or convinced the interviewer that you know what you are talking about. A short answer should take you around 30 seconds to complete. Extended questions that may have multiple elements would require an answer that might take 1 - 2 minutes. Any longer and your interviewer will switch off. Remember an interviewer knows the kind of answer they are looking for. So if you haven't given them what they want, they will quickly be thinking about either the next question or the next candidate! ConciousA healthy awareness of your environment and yourself will enable you to better perform at an interview. If you are nervous you will most likely speak quickly, make side remarks or comments, lose eye contact or make any other manner of mistakes. So calming yourself, being present in the moment is important to you effectively performing. You also need to read the room. How are the interviewers coming across to you? Are the warm, distance, engaging, formal or informal. If the environment feels formal and serious, don't try and lighten it with a remark or joke, take the engagement in the same manner. ConfidenceLastly, be confident throughout the interview since your confidence can let potential employers know you're equally confident in what you can bring to the company. Some companies may also view your confidence as an asset to the business, especially if the role you're applying for calls for it. However, don't be overly sure of yourself. An article on being overconfident shared that those who overestimated their abilities the most were the ones who performed the worst when it came to actual attainment. To balance your confidence and humility, avoid saying "I" too much when discussing your achievements. Use "we" instead whenever it is applicable. It's not easy to tell when you'll get the job from your interview alone. But as we discussed in our article on improving your employability, it's best to maintain a positive outlook and be open to future opportunities, even if you don't get a job offer right away. Check out this article also on mastering a virtual interview and see our poster of the same. Written by Faith Aliana Clarkson (freelance writer) and Russ Banner (Director- Career Guidance Charts)
Figuring out what career you want to pursue can be extremely difficult. Questions like ‘What do you find the most interesting?’, ‘Where would you like to be in 5 years?’, ‘What are your dreams?’ can often breed many results and raise a lot of uncertainty and anxiety about what to do next. Another way to look at it is to investigate what it is the world currently needs; what jobs are in demand. Then, if you find any of those roles appealing you could research them further and see if you might want to pursue any of those careers.
Since Brexit and the Coronavirus pandemic, the working landscape has drastically altered. Sectors have been entirely re-structured, and many people have left careers or changed to something new. In this article we outline those positions that are experiencing shortages and are looking for new talent to bolster the workforce. Healthcare The healthcare sector has endured a demanding and intensive few years due to the recent Coronavirus pandemic. Despite the heroic efforts of the NHS and other medical professionals, the industry is still under huge strain to meet the requirements of the country. There are many jobs within this sector which have high vacancies that need to be filled.
Engineering Engineering is another industry experiencing a shortage of workers. Jobs in this industry require skilled workers with a high standard of expertise. This also means that salaries tend to be higher, and therefore it is definitely worth considering a potential career. This sector is extremely broad with a vast number of sub-disciplines, but the occupations currently in demand include:
Information Technology As technology becomes more prominent and the recent pandemic forced many businesses to move online, the world has become even more reliant on IT. With this need for highly functioning software and computer tech, our need for IT professionals has also risen drastically. More and more positions are opening up as this industry continues to boom. If you think you might be interested in a career in technology then consider these roles:
Education The UK is currently experiencing a severe lack of teachers, with certain subjects suffering more than others. In fact, the Department for Education revealed that it has been unsuccessful in meeting recruitment targets for the seventh year running. This applies to both primary and secondary education. However, in order to incentivise people into these jobs the Government has increased the starting salary for teachers and this is forecast to reach £30,000 by 2023. So, if think a career in teaching sounds interesting you could find yourself, not only in high demand, but with a higher wage as well.
Management All companies and organisations require managers and directors to ensure operations run smoothly and efficiently. The need for these senior members in business is rising. Are you good at motivating others, being organised, and performing well under pressure? Then you might consider a future role in management.
Transport & Logistics One of the biggest shortages in workers comes from the Transport & Logistics sector. Demand for delivery drivers has trebled since 2021. This is partly due to the number of retail businesses that shifted online during the pandemic, but also because many people picked up delivery jobs during this time, as a way of maintaining an income, but then left their position once the UK came out of lockdown. This then increased the gap between online sales and the number of delivery drivers, and so demand for these jobs surged rapidly.
Construction The UK’s construction industry is trying to create a greater influx of new young workers to help meet growing demand. There are over 210,000 positions that need to be filled by 2025 in order to stay on track. As such, there are a great number of opportunities available to young people should they want to start a career in construction. For instance, apprenticeship opportunities are increasing as this is a great way to get new talent trained, qualified and prepared to start working, so it is worth keeping an eye out for these.
Summary For more information check out our store where we have an extensive range of infographics and posters on the labour market, industry trends and statistics. Our Career and Employment Series contains a series of artworks covering jobs in demand, apprenticeships, the job market, and 2022 employment statistics, to name a few. See the range here: https://www.careerguidancecharts.com/store/c16/Career_and_Employment_Series.html |
Russ BannerI have 10 years experience of working in careers guidance and am director of CGC. We publish career infographics for schools and colleges Archives
February 2025
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