Workplace Wellbeing: How to shine at your job interview

Whether your meeting is online or in person, the same ground rules apply if you want to make a good impression

Deirdre Mc Carthy, founder of flit.ie which helps women increase their financial literacy. Photograph: Moya Nolan

DEIRDRE McCarthy is an IT project manager from Carlow, who is currently setting up a new business aimed at enhancing women’s financial literacy.

She’s competent and confident, with decades of professional experience.

Yet, only a few years ago, she had a disastrous job interview.

“I laugh about it now, but it was truly cringe-worthy,” the 55-year-old says.

McCarthy was well qualified for the job. However, she wasn’t happy that the interview was taking place online.

“I prefer to be able to see the people interviewing me, so I can react to their body language and signals,” she says.

“Online, where I can only see the person who’s asking me a question while being observed by the others off-screen, generally doesn’t work well for me.”

On the day of the interview, McCarthy made a rookie error by leaving her notes out of reach.

“I didn’t think it would look professional if I suddenly lunged off camera to reach for them, so I decided to wing it,” she says.

Usually well able to think on her feet, she was suddenly struck by what she calls “major imposter syndrome”.

She began to question her own abilities. “I even diminished myself with comments like: ‘Sure anyone could have done that’ when describing one of my glory moments,” she says. “Needless to say, I didn’t get the job.”

One lesson McCarthy drew from that experience was to always be prepared.

“I knew that already, but somehow, I didn’t implement it on that particular day,” she says.

Preparation is just one of the ground rules you need to consider to perform well at a job interview.

For Sinéad Brady, a career and counselling psychologist, it starts with honing your CV and becoming fully familiar with all its contents.

“The CV or job application that you submit forms the basis of the questions you will be asked during your interview, so it’s vital you know it inside out,” she says.

Dr Mary Collins is a senior coach practitioner and chartered workplace psychologist at the RCSI Centre for Positive Health Sciences. She recommends researching the organisation and finding out as much as possible about the department and role for which you’re applying.

“Look at their website and check Google to see if they’ve been in the news recently,” she says. “It’s great if you can come across as up-to-date and current.”

If you know someone working in the organisation, she advises getting in touch with them. “LinkedIn is your friend,” she says.

“If you’re connected to someone working there, you can get an insight into what the organisation is really like. The review site www.glassdoor.com is great too, as it’s a place where employees share what they think about their employers.”

It’s worth finding out about the people interviewing you too.

However, be careful how you use this information during your conversation.

“The interview is supposed to be about you and what you can bring to the organisation,” Brady says.

“Focussing too much on the people interviewing you can come across as inauthentic or even creepy.”

Dr Mary Collins is a senior coach practitioner and chartered workplace psychologist at the RCSI Centre for Positive Health Sciences.

Answers at the ready

Spend time practising your responses to common interview questions.

“You’ll always be asked about your previous experience, your skills, and why you want to leave your current role,” Brady adds.

“Make sure that you’ve got answers to these questions at the ready.”

Collins says you should take the same approach to the key competencies outlined in the job description.

“Write a short paragraph applying your experience to each one,” she says.

“Use the same language they have used in the job description, and follow the Star model.”

She explains that Star stands for situation, task, action, and result.

“Outline the situation you faced, the task you had to complete, the action that you took, and the result it had.”

It’s worth practising your answers out loud and even recording yourself.

“That will give you an idea of how convincing you sound and how clear you’re being, as well as helping you identify where you need to improve,” Brady says.

First impressions matter, so dress appropriately for the interview.

“Black, navy, and grey are good interview colours,” Collins adds.

“An interview is a formal occasion, and you should dress accordingly. Even if the office culture is trainers and jeans, I’d still err on the conservative side and veer away from anything flashy — unless you’re going for a very creative role.”

Be sure to greet everyone as you walk in. “Make good eye contact, smile, and give them all a firm handshake,” Collins says.

Make the most of any opportunities for chit-chat too. “I don’t call it small talk, but enormous talk, as it can set the tone for the entire conversation,”she says.

“If you can create a connection by talking about your journey to the interview or even the weather, it can help everyone relax and settle into the interview.”

Brady has tips for nervous people: “If you tend to get sweaty hands, running your wrists under cold water for 30 seconds should cool and calm you.”

“If you suffer from a dry mouth, biting down on a pen or something hard three or four times will activate the saliva glands. Don’t forget to bring along a bottle of water.

“Tell yourself that feeling nervous is your body’s way of giving you the adrenaline you need to perform well in this interview,” she adds.

Sinéad Brady, a career and counselling psychologist

Focus on the future

Most interviews conclude with candidates being invited to pose questions.

Brady urges you to prepare yours in advance.

“Future-focussed ones are a good idea,” she says.

“Something like: What are your expectations of me in my first three months so that I can hit the ground running?”

Once the interview is over, you may or may not receive feedback. However, its helpful to take time to reflect on your performance.

“Sit down with a pen and paper as soon as you come out,” Brady says.

“Write down what went well, where you struggled, and what you would do differently next time.”

When McCarthy reflected on her interview, she realised she hadn’t been mentally ready for it.

“I’d got burned out during covid and then changed to a role that didn’t work out well,” she says.

“I should have taken time and done some work to recover from that.”

Her interview debacle convinced her to enrol in a career change programme.

“That programme helped me to feel confident in my strengths again,” she says.

“I don’t think I’d ever have a disastrous interview like that again.”

Online interviews are here to stay, and Brady believes we should take steps to become more comfortable with the format.

“Most of the preparation is the same, but there are a few technical things that aren’t,” she says.

“Check your internet connection and set your camera up well in advance. Have a trial run by logging into the meeting platform and be ready and waiting there five minutes early on the day of the interview. Remember to keep your eye on the camera. It’s how you maintain eye contact.”

“There are some advantages to online interviews,” Collins adds. “You’re at home in your own environment, and you can place notes and prompts behind the screen where you can read them easily.”

“That’s as long as you don’t do what I did,” McCarthy says. “Don’t torture yourself by placing them beyond arm’s reach.”