Welcome to part 2 of our 3 part blog series that aims to give you the best tips for approaching an interview in Aged and Disability Care. Last week, in part 1, we talked about what you can do to best prepare yourself for an interview in the days leading up to it. So it's only natural that this week we focus on the day of the interview and what you can do to improve your chances of impressing the employer.
On the day of the interview, one of the first things you're going to do is get dressed (we hope!). So making sure you present yourself well is very important. We should note that this doesn't mean you need to go out and buy a brand new outfit, or that you should be turning up wearing an extravagant dress. All it means is that your appearance is tidy and professional.
For interviews, it's always better to overdress than underdress. Avoid wearing t-shirts, hoodies, jeans and any other casual attire to an interview. Making sure you look professional and tidy, even though you might not wear those clothes when you get the job, will show the employer that you put in the effort to impress them, showing them that you are keen to work for them. If in doubt, a white top, black pants and black shoes is a safe bet.
Whatever you wear, make sure that they're clean and ironed. Creased, dirty clothes will give employers the impression that you are time poor and not really taking the interview seriously. You should most definitely avoid wearing clothes with words or big graphics on them. People can get offended at a whole manner of different things, so wearing plain clothing can help to avoid any potential issues.
Lastly, ensure as part of your presentation that you do not attend the interview either smelling of smoke (if you are a smoker) or of body odour. Wear deodorant and ensure you are showered and fresh.
A lot of people will tell you to turn up on time for an interview, but we don't think that's quite right. You should be turning up early for an interview. That is one way to really stand out to the employer. It shows that you are a person who is taking the opportunity seriously and also gives them a good idea about how reliable you are. Being even a minute late will tell them that you don't have good time management skills, and if you can't be on time for a one off interview, what will that say about your ability to come on time to every shift.
Being early also means that you won't be stressed out. Imagine how it would affect your ability to project yourself as a professional, enthusiastic and positive person if you've just spent the last 20 minutes sitting on a tram or in traffic, anxiously looking at your watch because you didn't give yourself enough time to get to the interview.
A good tip is to find out how long it takes to get to the location of the interview and then add an extra 45 minutes to the trip. This way you can account for any potential issues like traffic jams, public transport disruptions or any other things that might cause you to be late. If you do this, then the worst thing that could happen is that there are no disruptions and you get there 45 minutes early. But hey, a slightly boring 45 minute wait is worth it if it means that you get a job at the end of it!
There you have it! Our tips that you can implement on the day of your interview, to make sure you give yourself the best chance getting that dream job.
In part 3, the final entry of this series, our tips will be focusing on what you can do during the interview itself to impress the employer.
Tags:
