6 Job Interview Tips For New Graduates
Publié le 12 July 2023
Take your degree and confidently enter the job market ready to impress hiring managers, with 6 job interview tips for new graduates to kickstart their career.
So, you’ve just graduated? Fantastic! Now’s your chance to jump into your dream career. First, though, there’s a hurdle. Whether you want a job in anything from finance sales to data management and mobile application testing, you first need to face the dreaded job interview.
For the lucky few, a job interview is a walk in the park. They are lucky enough to have so much confidence that they can do it without breaking a sweat. For the rest of us, the very mention of the word is enough to send a shiver down the spine at the thought of saying the wrong thing.
If you’re in the second camp, don’t worry. This article is here to help you. Whilst we can’t take the stress away completely from an interview, we can help you better prepare for it (and hopefully reduce the pressure). With that in mind, let’s look at 6 job interview tips for new graduates.
6 Job Interview Tips for New Graduates
There’s no guarantees when it comes to job interviews. However, if you follow these tried and trusted tips for new graduates facing an interview, you can boost your chances of impressing a potential employer:
1. Get to know your prospective employer
It’s not uncommon to send out lots of job application forms without looking into an employer. It’s understandable if you’ve taken this approach as research can take a lot of time. But if you’ve received an interview request, you’re going to have to rectify this. Employers expect you to know something about them.
They’re almost certain to quiz you on this at some point in a question. For example, let’s say you’re applying for a marketing position. An interviewer might ask “which of our campaigns has stood out to you?” If you can’t produce an answer, it’s not going to look good for your chances to get hired for this digital marketing job.
So, take time to get to know your prospective employer. For instance, you might notice that a company is using a ChatGPT WordPress integration, indicating they’re using AI in their marketing. That tells you a lot about their attitude toward cutting-edge technology.
More broadly, research should include some of the following activities:
- Looking at a company’s website to learn about its culture and general approach.
- Following a prospective employer on social media to gain new updates.
- Reading news relating to a company. For example, they may have recently begun software testing outsourcing or other activities.
- Getting to know the competition of a company.
A prospective employer doesn’t expect you to know them inside out. But they do expect you to have done more than a cursory glance at a job description.
2. Take time to relax
Of all our 6 job interview tips for new graduates, this is probably the most important. Interviews are stressful, and it’s okay to be nervous. Just make sure you don’t allow your nerves to impact your performance.
This probably sounds easier said than done. But a little relaxation can go a long way to putting your mind at rest. Studies show that 10 minutes of resting can bring a psychological reduction in stress.
It’s important to remember that preferred relaxation techniques vary from person to person. What worked for your friend might not work for you. With that in mind, let’s look at some general ways that might help you to relax:
- Go for a walk – It sounds basic, but it’s a simple way of putting your mind at rest. Walks allow you to zone into the current moment. You can take in fresh air, listen to the sounds of nature, and take your mind off your worries.
- Meditation – Whilst it might not be for everyone, there’s no denying the effectiveness of meditation. The right techniques can help you to relax your mind and gain a calmer outlook. You can even get meditation apps to help you.
- Breathing exercises – If you’re breathing fast, you’ll only make yourself more stressed. Breathing exercises can help regulate your breathing. Slow, deep breaths can allow you to feel calmer before an interview.
- Listen to music – Sometimes distraction is all you need to take your mind off nervousness. Why not put on your favorite playlist, sit back and listen to some music?
3. Prepare for a virtual interview
When the world was in lockdown, employers switched to technology to facilitate interviews. Now, the days of in-person interviews appear to be staying in the past. 93% of employers say they plan to continue using virtual job interviews. For you, this is probably a good thing. You can cut out travel costs and do an interview from the comfort of your home.
But whilst a virtual interview might feel similar to an in-person interview, there are some differences (and we’re not talking about only needing to wear half a suit). For one, you’re relying on technology to get you to your interview.
In some cases, companies may ask you to install and use their employee app for the virtual interview, so make sure you familiarize yourself with the app beforehand.
Also, make sure you’ve got a decent internet connection before joining. The last thing you want is to drop out mid-interview thanks to bad internet. If you know your connection is bad, think about going to a friend’s house or cafe with wifi to do your interview (just make sure they don’t have an equally bad connection).
Remember also that remote jobs might mean talking to someone in a different time zone. A quick glance at a company’s website should help you find out. For instance, a company that’s chosen to register a .qa domain name is likely based in Qatar.
4. Make some connections
Research is great, but insider knowledge is even better. Why not hop on LinkedIn and speak to people in your prospective employer’s industry?
The platform has over 66 million users, and probably a huge pool of people in your industry. This can be a useful opportunity to get information from potential mentors that will help you, not only in the interview but also in your future career.
Take time to network, but try to remember some basic courtesies. Act as you would in an everyday professional scenario. Don’t be pushy if a connection isn’t getting back to you. You can always move on to a different connection if you’re not getting the necessary answers.
Some good questions to ask a connection might include:
- What questions are likely to crop up in the interview?
- What advice can they give to someone that is new in the industry?
- What are some of the most challenging aspects of their career?
- What skills are needed most to do their job? For instance, a data engineer may advise you to do a Python for data engineering tutorial.
- What do they enjoy about their role?
If you’re speaking to someone from your prospective employer, you need to be careful. You don’t want to seem like you’re trying to “cheat” the interview or give yourself an unfair advantage.
5. Arrange an interview in the morning
Sometimes the waiting is worse than the interview itself. Most of us have been there, getting more and more nervous. Frankly, we’d rather get it over and done with.
The worst kind of interviews are usually those that come later in the day. That’s why you should always try to get a morning slot for your job interview. But don’t choose a slot that’s too early, especially if you’ve got far to travel. You don’t want lack of sleep or similar mistakes to impact how you do in your interview.
If you’ve got no choice but to have an afternoon interview, it doesn’t have to be a bad thing. Try to think of it as a positive. You’ll get more time to prepare and go over any notes you might have made.
To stay organized and ensure you’re prepared, it’s helpful to build a master schedule leading up to the interview, outlining important dates such as research deadlines, practice sessions, and mock interviews.
Practice questions
Our interview tips for new graduates would have been lacking if we didn’t cover this topic.
Questions can be one of the most daunting aspects of an interview. There’s no knowing what you will be asked. So, what should you do? Developing strong communication and organizational skills, such as executive assistant skills, can greatly benefit new graduates in their career interviews.
The first step is to think about what questions interviewers might ask. Think about questions relating to your industry. For example, “what challenges do you see the publishing industry facing in the next few years?”.
By anticipating questions, you’re less likely to be caught out by an unconventional curve ball. It’s also useful to practice general questions. Below, we’ve listed some questions you’re likely to be asked, as well as some possible responses. For these questions, we’ve imagined that a candidate is applying for a role in marketing:
Tell us about yourself
I’ve always had an interest in marketing. As a child, I was always excited by advertising, and would even make my own adverts for imaginary products. This interest culminated in my studying for a marketing degree at university. I feel this position is a fantastic first step into the industry, and I’m keen to inject my unique ideas into your marketing.
What are your strengths and weaknesses?
I’m a people person. I love working in teams and towards a common objective. In group projects at university, I’ve taken leadership roles and made sure my team hit its goals. In terms of weaknesses, in the past, I’ve struggled with time management. However, my time at university has really helped me to work on this. I’m making sure to continue improving this skill.
Where do you see yourself in five years’ time?
In five years, I hope to have led many successful and innovative marketing campaigns and grown in my career. I would like to have further developed my leadership skills and be ready to take on a more senior role.
Always prepare!
Job interviews are scary, there’s no denying that. They’re a hurdle that all graduates need to overcome. But, as we’ve hopefully established in this article, succeeding in job interviews doesn’t need to feel impossible.
With the right preparation, they can be much more manageable. With 6 interview tips for new graduates to kickstart their careers, you can put yourself in the best position to impress a hiring manager.
Reading this article is a great first step. With the right preparation, you’ll ace your interview, and land a job in your dream industry. So, get preparing!
