Interviews

If you've secured an interview for the role you've applied for, take the time to congratulate yourself. You have clearly made a positive impression on the recruiter and they believe you have the potential to fill the role.

This next step is where the employer will want to gain a deeper insight into your personality, your motivations, and your suitability to the position. It's important to prepare thoroughly so that you can provide a true and positive reflection of yourself in the interview stage.

First steps

Researching the employer

The first thing you'll need to do is revisit your initial research about the employer and the role, which you would have done during the application process.

This includes making sure you're comfortable understanding the following:

• what the organisation does
• what their values are
• and their business model

It also includes getting up to date on the sector they operate within, such as:

• checking if they've been in the news recently
• who their competitors are
• and their future strategies

Explaining why you're a match

The interviewer may ask you why you want to work for the company.

Based on the research you have done about the organisation, you should prepare an answer about specific information aligns with your interests, values or career development goals.

For example, if you are impressed by an achievement of theirs which recently featured in the news, explain where you saw the information and how it aligns with your interests.

Preparing for questions

Understanding the role

It's important to make sure you understand the nature of the role and the required responsibilities, so that you can answer confidently about it in the interview.

To make sure that you understand the role, check that you know the following:

• what the main activities will be
• what key skills the employer has asked for
• the type of experience they're looking for
• which skills are essential and which are desirable

Requirements of the role

The job advert should clearly outline which skills are essential requirements and which ones are desirable.

Some roles will have fixed requirements such as a particular research technique or a specific qualification, where you will need to match the requirements exactly to be successful in your application. Others will require a set of skills to be met, regardless of the specific experience or qualifications which developed these skills.

When preparing for your interview, think of a clear example from your experience for each requirement in the job description. If there's a requirement which you don't have any relevant experience of, be open about this and show interest in developing the skill further if you are successful in your application.

How to build interview confidence

Feeling nervous before an interview is completely normal. You want to get it right, and it's an unfamiliar environment.

Try to spend some time practising potential questions with a friend or colleague, and remind yourself that the employer isn't there to catch you out.

If you find yourself very nervous before the interview, try to ensure you have positive body language as this can immediately boost your confidence. Make sure you take slow breaths to ease your nerves, and try to think of things which make you feel confident and self-assured.

Competency-based questions

What are competency-based questions?

Most of the questions will be competency based, and their purpose will be to find out if you are a good fit for the requirements of the role.

Some examples of these questions include:

• What are your most relevant skills to this role?
• Give an example of a time you dealt with conflict in a team?
• Tell me about a time you failed to meet the deadline for a task or project?
• Give an example of a time you've had to solve a complex problem?

Using the STAR technique

When answering these types of questions, you may want to consider the STAR technique, which you are likely to have used during your application.

• Situation: Describe the situation you were in when this example occurred
• Task: Describe what your specific role or responsibility was during this situation
• Action: Explain in detail how you responded to the situation and what steps you took for its resolution
• Result: Share the results of your actions and what they achieved

Sticking to this format will help you to succinctly demonstrate to the employer a clear example of your skills and how you have applied them.

They will be most interested in the Action and Result parts of your answer to decide if you would be a good fit for them, so make sure you focus on these.

Motivation-based questions

What are motivation-based questions?

The employer will be interested to know what your motivations are for joining their organisation. Motivation-based questions will be used to decipher why you're drawn to the role, and how it fits with your career goals.

Some of the questions will relate to the role itself, others will be about the company or organisation, and others may be about other areas of your career aspirations.

Some examples of motivation-based questions that you may be asked:

• What makes you want to work for us?
• Why have you applied for this role?
• What made you choose your specific postgraduate degree?

How to answer motivation-based questions

When you're answering a motivation-based question, be honest and authentic about your motivations and try to match them closely to the role and the employer.

If the question is about the role, try to focus on two or three main points that motivate you, rather than simply listing all the things you like about it.

Where possible, try to include specific evidence from your research about the employer to back up your answers, as this will make it clear to the employer that your answer is authentic and genuine.

Values-based questions

What are values-based questions?

The interviewer will want to find out how your values and goals align with those of the employers. Values-based questions will be used to assess your values, behaviours and attitudes in the workplace to determine if you are a good fit for the role.

Your answers to this type of question will allow the employer to gain insight into the way you might approach decisions, and how your professional values and beliefs are comparable to those of the organisation.

Some examples of values-based questions include:

• Give an example of a time you demonstrated professional integrity.
• How do you react when you receive negative feedback?
• Tell me which traits you consider to be most important for a team leader to possess.

How to answer values-based questions

When you're answering a values-based question, try to think about your behaviours and values as if they were skills, and communicate about them in this way to the interviewer.

For example, your values and behaviours might include honesty and patience because these are parts of your personality, but in the context of the interview you will want to provide examples of when you have demonstrated them in the workplace.

Include context in your example and describe the result of your involvement, similarly to how you would use the STAR technique in a competency-based question.

Scenario-based questions

What are scenario-based questions?

Scenario-based interview questions are used by employers to assess how you undertake various problems, including how you respond to change, and how you approach problem-solving.

The idea behind these types of questions is to pose hypothetical challenges which are relevant to the role or sector, and to find out how you'd respond. The challenges may be something you're likely to face in the role, but can also be exaggerated or seemingly unrelated.

Some examples of scenario-based questions:

• If you made a mistake and no one noticed, what would you do?
• How would you approach performing a task you've never done before?
• How would you respond if your manager gave you criticism about a task you did?

How to answer scenario-based questions

Similarly to skills-based questions, you may find it useful to use the STAR technique to help you answer these questions. Your interviewer will want to know how your actions fit in with their values and standards, so it can strengthen your answer to give an example of a time you faced a similar scenario to the one they've asked about.

For example, if you're asked what you'd do if you made a mistake and no one noticed, it won't be enough to simply say 'I would always own up to it'. Instead, talk about an example of a time that you've made a mistake in your work and how you reached a solution, as well as explaining what you learned from the situation.

Commercial awareness questions

What are commercial awareness questions?

The interviewer will want to determine how well you understand the organisation and the industry they operate within. This is to make sure you have adequate commercial awareness, as well as gaining further insight into your professional motivation for the role.

Some examples of commercial awareness questions:

• What can you tell me about this organisation?
• Tell me the challenges you think this organisation faces.
• Who are our main competitors?

How to approach your answer

You will need to include information from your research of the company and sector which you carried out before the interview, and relate what you have found to the question being asked.

For example, if they've asked who their main competitors are, it may not be detailed enough to just name some examples of companies with a similar consumer base. To build on your answer, you could describe a reason that you believe they have a competitive edge, such as seeing a recent news article that celebrated their successful new product.

It's important not to just repeat the information you've found during your research of the employer, but to explain why you found it interesting or impressive, and how it aligns with your career values and goals.

Curveball questions

What are curveball questions?

During your interview you might be asked a 'curveball question', which may seem completely unrelated to the role. The idea of these types of questions isn't to get a right or wrong answer, but for the interviewer to gain an insight into the way you think under pressure.

You should be creative with your answer, as the interviewer will be interested in hearing your thinking process behind your response.

Some examples of curveball questions:

• If you could be anyone for a day, who would you be?
• There's one lie in every CV, what's yours?
• If you were a colour, what colour would you be and why?

How to approach your answer

When answering a curveball question, it's not about getting the answer right or wrong. The employer is more interested in how you approach your answer, so you should try to be creative while highlighting some skills that the employer is looking for.

Your answer should also reveal a bit about your personality. This type of question is a good way for the employer to see a little beyond how you perform in very structured and formal settings.

Prepared questions

Some employers have started introducing a different format of interview questions, in order to allow more preparation for candidates. This can include being sent one or more of the interview questions ahead of the interview, allowing you to prepare your answer in full before being asked it on the day.

This is not yet standard practice across all employers, however as it makes the process more accessible to a wider range of applicants, this format is becoming more popular.

Questions in academic interviews

If you're interviewing for a job in academia, some of the questions you'll be asked will be different to those expected for jobs outside academia.

The department or university

Some questions may relate to the department or research group that you are looking to join, including the following examples:

• Which groups would you be looking to collaborate with?
• Other than your subject expertise, how will you contribute to this department and university?
• Why do you want to work at this university?

Teaching and research

Other questions will relate to teaching and research, with the split of questions likely to reflect the split of expected responsibility within the role. Take a look at the following examples to get an idea of the types of questions likely to be asked.

Teaching:

• Tell me about a time you taught a class or lecture, what went well?
• How would you add your own research interests into the next update of the course curriculum?
• How do you hope to develop your teaching skills?

Research:

• Tell me about your PhD research.
• Why did you choose your research topic?
• What are the main barriers to research progress in your field?

Face-to-face

Most interviews will be face to face, where you will meet your potential employer in person. The interview may be with one person, or can be a panel of three or four people.

If you have been invited to an assessment centre, read the advice on our assessment centre page

Things to consider

• Plan your route with plenty of time factored in for traffic or other delays, and make sure you know exactly where you are meant to go.
• It's acceptable in most cases to bring in notes with you, which may include highlights from the research you carried out about the employer, and the list of questions you want to ask at the end of your interview.
• Make sure you've considered how you will present yourself, such as checking if the employer has suggested a dress code, and ensuring that you make a good first impression.

If you are interviewing for a role which you will have to relocate for, try to explore the area if you have time before or after the interview.

The interview process is not just for the benefit of the employer, but also an opportunity for you to make sure the company is a good fit for you.

Online

Live online video interviews are an increasingly common format. This will involve meeting with the interviewer or panel via software such as MS Teams or Zoom.

How to prepare for online interviews

As well as preparing for the various question types that you may be asked during the interview, there are some specific ways to prepare for online interviews. To avoid the risk of technical difficulties or similar setbacks, make sure that you have familiarised yourself with the software beforehand.

This can include setting up a meeting with a friend and checking that you know how to join the meeting, how to turn your camera and microphone on, and how to leave the meeting at the end.

Things to consider during your online interview

• Try to look into your camera when you are speaking. It might feel more natural to look at the screen where the interviewers face is, however looking at the camera will appear similar to making eye contact from the interviewer's perspective.
• Make sure you have a quiet location to have the interview in to ensure you will not be disturbed.
• Try to use positive body language and tone of voice as you would in a face-to-face interview. It can be harder to do this in an online interview but it's just as important to get your personality across.
• Present yourself as you would in a face-to-face interview, making sure your outfit is smart and matches their dress code, if they have one.

Informal chats

You might have been invited to an 'informal chat' by your potential employer, and while this may seem like a laid back conversation, you should prepare for it like a normal interview.

Employers use these informal chats to gain an insight to your personality, your career aspirations, and your previous experience. It can be considered as an initial interview, so while the setting may be more casual and less structured than a formal interview, it is still important to make sure you approach your answers in the right way.

How to prepare for informal chats

To prepare for an 'informal chat' style interview, you should use the information provided on this page as if it is a traditional interview. You will still need to research the employer, prepare examples of your skills and experience, prepare some questions to ask the employer, and present yourself the same way you would in a traditional interview.

Additionally, you might want to prepare some answers to questions relating to your personality and interests. The interviewer at this stage may want to get an insight into your hobbies, what your personality is like in the workplace, and your goals both within and outside of your career.

We subscribe to a range of resources to help prepare for interviews and build your confidence.

We provide advice on how to use the STAR technique to answer questions as well as CAMP and SPIES for health care interviews plus FREE access to online practice resources:

• eCareersGrad for all interview types
• Graduates First for video interviews

Go to our interview practice resources

For academic interviews

Jobs.ac.uk - interview tool 

Jobs.ac.uk - eBook How to apply for an academic job 

You can also book an appointment with an adviser to talk about the interview you have coming up and how to prepare effectively.

Book an appointment with an adviser

Reflect on your experience

After your interview, you should take a few minutes to reflect on the experience and think about how you felt you answered the questions.

It can be valuable to think about how you would answer in future if you were asked the same questions, especially if you were asked some questions which you didn't feel fully prepared for. This can improve your interview skills for future opportunities.

Asking for feedback

Whether you are successful in gaining a role or not, it is extremely valuable to gain feedback and learn from your experience. It will help you to understand areas you performed well in, as well as identifying areas which could be improved.

When you hear back from the employer, whether that's with an offer or a rejection, they may mention that you are welcome to contact them if you'd like feedback. We recommend that you always contact for feedback.

Even if the employer doesn't specify that they offer feedback when they contact you, we still strongly advise that you ask if they are able to provide you with some comments so that you can improve for future opportunities. They may not always be able to provide feedback, especially if there are a large number of candidates, but it is worth asking.

Dealing with rejection

Even if you perform well in interviews and have suitable skills and experiences, this will not always guarantee success. With many roles being highly competitive, and with so many factors contributing to success, it is important to learn how to manage rejection in a positive way.

It's normal to feel disappointed if you are rejected from a role, especially if it is one that you felt was an excellent match to your career goals and values.

Try to focus on learning from the experience, and evaluating what you did well, as well as considering which ways you might improve. This can help you to become more confident for your next interview, rather than only seeing it as a setback.

If you're not sure how to improve, or you'd like some help navigating the preparation for your next opportunity, book a meeting with an adviser through MyCareer.