Learning English

Finn
What advice would you give to someone who is preparing for an interview?

Craig
Prep is absolutely key. I've always said ‘fail to prepare, prepare to fail’. Make sure that you’re researching the company, by looking on their website and getting any information that you can, make sure that you research the job description and the person specification, and think about real-life examples of where you've done things in the past, and how you can apply those to the potential questions that might come up.

Also, if you can practise with a family member or friend that'll give you a real head start as well, because you can get their feedback on how you're doing.

Finn
What advice would you give for people during the interview, especially if English is not their first language?

Craig
Yeah, so I think, first and foremost, the interview process is a nerve-wracking experience for absolutely everybody, whether English is your first language or not.

So, when you go into the interview you can always use your body language and non-verbal communication. Whether or not English is your first language, you can smile, you can give eye contact, you can nod when the – you know, when the interviewer is asking you the question.

Finn
What about if someone asks you a question you don't understand: what's your advice?

Craig
Ok, so if someone asks a question that you don't understand, always have the confidence to ask them to repeat the question. It doesn't make you look like you're unsure, it just shows that you're assertive and that you've got confidence.

Finn
And what about if you're in the middle of an answer that you're giving, and you think 'hmmm, this isn't very good.' What should you do then?

Craig
Ok, so if you're in the middle of an answer as well, and you're not happy with the way that you're answering the question, always have the confidence to go back to the top and rephrase that answer. Again, this shows confidence and assertiveness.

Also make sure that you take time with your answer. The nerves can make you give a speedy, a speedy response, and what you want to do is be aware of that and just slow your answer down.

I would say one final tip is just to have a couple of questions prepared for the panel, which you can ask at the end of the interview. Because that just really shows that you've, you’ve thought about the position.