How to prepare for an interview

“Combined with passion and perseverance, good preparation will give you a great
identifying and leveraging your strengths and advantage in presenting your personal skills.
aptitudes is the key to any career path.” There are some simple steps to take before the
interview to help you comfortably answer the
-Anadil Hossain
interview questions and these are mainly
What is an interview? focused on research and planning.

You should consider an interview as the time to Detective work

shine and to sell yourself in an efficient yet warm
The employer expects you to have knowledge
manner. A job interview is essentially a meeting
about the organisation and the department you
organised by a recruiter (academia, hospital,
have applied for. We would recommend that
pharmaceutical company, etc.) that is used to
you do a thorough search and read the
evaluate a potential employee for prospective
organisation’s website, social media profiles and
employment. However, consider this meeting as
key literature (e.g. business/research plan,
a two-way process between the candidate and
clinical/research/ financial reports, recent
the interviewer. The interviewer wants to find out
accomplishments/awards/ fundings etc.). Also
how well the candidate could do the job and fit
check the news, competitors, history and
in with their organisation and team and the
opportunities of the sector. Figure out which
candidate aims to show that they are the best
aspects they are focusing on, what is important
person for the job and for the organisation but
they also should aim to find out more about the
to them and how they appear online? Then
work environment.
revisit the job description of the job you have
been shortlisted for and place this into the
Job interviews are usually face-to-face meetings; bigger picture of the organisation.
however, in recent years, telephone interviews
and Skype interviews have become more Consider arranging a visit to the organisation to
commonplace. Interviews last approximately 45– see the surroundings, talk to potential future
60 mins, although telephone interviews may be colleagues and ask more about their processes.
slightly shorter. Get in touch with people who have worked at
the institution or lab to find out more
Depending on the type of job you have applied information. However, be cautious when talking
for and seniority of the role, the interview panel to previous or current employees as they
may vary between three and 12 members. potentially may be biased by personal
Usually, the more senior the job, the wider the experiences.
composition of the panel.
Based on all this research, you need to think
Before the interview how your goals would match the organisation’s
goals and how your strengths and
In most cases, being invited to the interview
experience/expertise in the field will serve the
usually means that you’re qualified for the job;
organisation and/or even contribute to the
i.e. you meet all the essential criteria and most
solution of problems they may face. Knowing all
of the desirable ones (if not all of them). The
this info shows enthusiasm for the job and also
interview is mostly about the panel finding out
gives you the opportunity to apply your
whether you can support what has been written
personal attributes to the organisation’s needs
on your application and how you can implement
and goals and establish a robust relationship
these things.
right from the interview (or even before the
How you act in the interview and how you interview if you have arranged a site visit).
answer questions posed is crucial, regardless of Some organisations have a dedicated section on
whether you will get a job offer or not, and their website with their values. Try to think of

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How to prepare for an interview

examples from your personal/professional life interviewing and that they may receive a call or
that reflect how you apply these values in daily an email to which they need to respond
life and be prepared to mention these during promptly. Depending on the relationship you
the interview. have with them, you might also ask them what
their overall impression is about you. However,
However, bear in mind that the detective work bear in mind that a good referee will always
is usually done reciprocally. Potential employers send you a copy of their reference unless it is in
will usually do their research on you and even the form of an on-line questionnaire; in this
check your social media account. Therefore, you case, they will update you. Some interviewers
need to be mindful with regards to your might ask you what your referees will say about
internet presence. you and knowing something about it, again,
Review your CV and application form shows good introspection.

This translates into reviewing your skills, Reverse thinking: think about the interview
abilities and characteristics in detail and from the interviewer’s point of view
identifying those that apply to the potential Inevitably you will need to do some
future employer and job and also present them brainstorming based on your detective work
in a way that match their goals and needs. and introspection, during which you need to ask
Imagine yourself in the actual position, what do yourself the following questions:
you offer to the organisation? If you’ve
reflected on this beforehand, it will make it ● What are the employers looking for?
easier to answer clearly and well during the
interview. This gives an impression of good ● How will they assess you?
introspection. Try to remember relevant ● What questions are they most likely to ask to
examples of applying similar skills in your help them judge these things?
previous job as it is always good to mention
these during the interview. ● How can you convince them that you are the
best fit for the job and organisation?
It is of vital importance not to claim that you
can do/know something that you do not. This is ● What evidence have you got to support that?
dishonest and it may ruin the whole interview Practise
process. Imagine that you state that you can
speak fluent French and, during the interview, Practise with your mentor or an experienced
the panel decide to switch the interview friend. They should pretend they are the
language to French; this will be a very awkward interviewer. After you are finished, request
moment! their feedback; what was done particularly well,
what could have been done differently, whether
A poorly chosen email address, used for there was anything you should change or leave
communication purposes in the CV and out. In big institutions, “mock interviews” are
application form, can reflect on your often offered to candidates that have planned
professionalism. Keep it simple and select a to move on and have applied for new jobs.
professional-looking email address e.g. Should this be the case with your institution,
lastname.firstname@… then this is definitely something you can benefit
Contact your referees from. If your mentor or friend is not available
and mock interviews are not offered by your
Your references would usually come from institution, then you can practise in front of a
people that are really busy (former line mirror or, even better, film yourself! The latter
manager, academics, etc.); therefore, it is can be of real benefit as it picks up elements
essential that you alert them that you’ll be

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How to prepare for an interview

that you may have not even considered and can manners with any staff member or interviewers
help you identify potential weak points that you that you might meet before or after the
can work on and improve. interview, or even during the coffee break,
lunch or dinner. Don’t forget that while you are
Dress to impress with any of the institution’s or company’s staff,
The first impression matters more than you you are being assessed, whether the setting is
would want and it is the visual expression that is formal or informal.
first notable. Therefore choosing the right
clothing is necessary. Everything from hair to
toes should be clean and presentable. Focus on Use examples
personal hygiene, shower right before the
interview, have a clean shave and dress up “Tell us about yourself”. Whether it is the first
question or another similar one, use it as a
nicely. Different organisations have different
dress codes, so if you are uncertain, calling the moment to shine by giving examples how you
achieved positive outcomes and what your
central switch board beforehand is a good idea.
Traditionally, this would be smart business contribution was. Don’t forget to use “I” rather
than “we” and highlight why you are the one
attire, but if you are in any doubt, overdress
rather than underdress. Often a good choice is a they should hire.
professional look that you are comfortable with. Avoid talking about personal problems
You do not want to be the person that turns
cyanotic in front of the panel as the shirt collar This is not the time and place to bring up issues
is too tight! If you feel misplaced in your own you may have with your ex-wife or children or
clothing, it will easily show. any other family issues that affect your personal
life. You are strongly advised to leave these
Avoid alcohol consumption the night before and outside the interview room.
get plenty of sleep. In addition to the visual
impression, make sure to plan your journey in Ask questions at the end
advance, collect all the necessary documents to In the end you will be asked if you have any
have them ready on the day, and arrive 15 mins questions. Therefore, you should prepare some
earlier than the interview time. questions about the job, workplace, institution
During the interview and personal development on the job. Even if
the panel has covered most of what you wanted
When entering the interview room, try to be to know, ask a question that is relevant and
relaxed, have a confident smile and make eye thought-provoking. This can show that you’re
contact. When meeting the panel, introduce genuinely interested in the role and really
yourself with a handshake. If the panel is listening to the panel. To not ask a question
comprised of more than three members, then may make you come across as disinterested.
this may not be feasible and is not
recommended. Instead, introduce yourself by After the interview
making eye-contact with all panel members. After the interview, there is a seemingly endless
Body language and direct eye contact are key time that you are waiting for the result. In the
worst case scenario that your interview was an
Maintain a positive body language throughout unpleasant experience, it is generally better not
the interview, speak clearly and in full to openly complain about it to your professional
sentences, smile frequently and make eye circle or start making calls or sending e-mails.
contact. During questioning, sit upright, listen to
the questions and try to answer as clearly and Regardless of whether you get the job or not, it
concisely as possible. Also maintain good is important to take notes (now that your

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How to prepare for an interview

memory is still fresh) and try to remember the candidate? What are your
questions and your responses to them. Focus on weaknesses/strengths?
what you think went really well and what could 5. How would you see yourself in 5 years’
have been said in a different way. You should time?
reflect on what could have been done
differently and how this can be achieved in the
future. This brief self-evaluation gives you a
better insight of your performance and will help
you improve for future interviews.
Seeking feedback from the interview panel is
very helpful as it may provide you with valuable
information that you might not have picked up
in your self-evaluation. In the case you have got
the job you can request the feedback informally
over a friendly cup of coffee/tea with your
panellists after you have started working in the
organisation. If you did not get the job, we
recommend that you send a “thank you” e-mail
to the panel and a kind request for feedback as
this will give you a better insight and will help
you work further on your interview skills. This
should be sent within 24–48 h. Remember, try
to use this feedback constructively and do not
see it as a reason to argue with the hiring
manager.
Usually the majority of employers will get back
to you within 24–48 h to let you know whether
you have been successful or not. In the rare
case that a response takes weeks or months,
you should not stop attending further
interviews for other promising jobs. It is a free
market and you should always keep your
options open.

ACTIVITY

The following are the questions that panelists

are keen to ask. Answer the following:

1. Can you talk to us through your CV?

2. Why did you choose this particular
institution?
3. Why did you choose this job?
4. Why you? What skills/experience you
have that would make you a good

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