Tag: pyschology of a job interview

The recruitment process is a highly competitive process with hundreds, sometimes thousands, of applicants applying for each vacancy. Having an edge is key, and every little improvement can help you land that all-important job offer.

Here is a list of 70 easy-to-implement changes to help you succeed in the job interview.

The tips will include advice on structured job interviews, video interviews, preparation, and answering questions.

Top Tips

1. Understand the structured job interview process (how job applicants are scored during the interview) as this will help you in terms of how you answer questions
2. Detailed and relevant answers score higher than short and snappy replies
3. Using examples in an interview answer helps employers understand your value, knowledge, and experience
4. Speaking confidently creates authority – this includes pace, pauses, volume, and tonality
5. Fully understand the essential job criteria (job duties, skills, qualities required) and reference three of these per interview answer
6. Be a self-promoter; talk up your experiences, use power words, and explain actions you took in tasks
7. Rhythmic breathing helps to relax you
8. If you sit confidently, you will feel confident due to the mind-body cycle
9. Practice saying your interview answers out loud, as this technique helps improve memory more than just writing down your answers
10. Ask questions to clarify what the employer is asking,g as this will help you to give the most relevant answers

Pre-interview preparation

11. Research the organisations values, vision, and mission, and this will highlight the employers way of working
12. Use Google Maps on the day of the interview as this will help you avoid traffic jams
13. Bring an umbrella, there is nothing worse than turning up to the interview wet
14. Carry pocket-sized wet wipes to clean your shoes before you arrive at the interview
15. Carry out mock interviews to practice answering questions
16. Write down your ten unique selling points to boost your confidence and to be used during the interview
17. For video interviews, check your down/upload speed on your internet
18. Re-read your CV/application as employers will ask questions based on what you wrote
19. Check the interview panel’s LinkedIn profile as this helps you feel like you know them, which makes it easier to talk to the interviewers
20. Familiarity creates confidence; get to know the company. Visit the premises, check out the website, and read news articles to get a feel for the company

Virtual job interviews

21. Ensure you have a clear background
22. Test your lighting – a light above the head often works best, but this depends on the darkness/brightness of the room
23. Ensure you won’t be interrupted, a sign on the door works best
24. Test the microphone/headset – and double-check your mic isn’t on mute (we have all done this)
25. Place the camera so it shows the stomach to the top of your head – this allows the interviewer to see your face, and gestures
26. Check if there is any construction or other noisy activities happening on the day of the interview
27. For some online interviews, you will need to pre-register
28. Put animals in a different room. I have seen cats jump on people’s laps during online interviews
29. Reduce your vocal pace during a virtual interview to ensure you are understood
30. Look towards the camera not the screen as this creates virtual eye contact

Interview arrival

31. Arrive in plenty of time, in some large organisations you may have to walk up flights of stairs to a second reception area
32. Ensure you have all required documents (ID, qualifications, DBS, etc)
33. Bring a copy of the interview invitation to show to the receptionist
34. Be polite on arrival, even if you are stressed through running late as there have been many cases of the person at reception being part of the interview panel
35. While in the waiting area, sit with a confident and professional posture to help improve your first impression
36. Use the waiting time to re-read your CV/interview preparation notes
37. Ensure you relax your body (through breathing/positive posture) as the mind/body cycle can help you feel calm
38. When you meet the interviewer, give a confident handshake while maintaining strong eye contact
39. Smile and ask questions to help create rapport
40. Give compliments to create likeability (people like people who like them)

Interview Answers

41. Start answers with a confirmation statement; “Yes I have lots of experience in this area…” as a confirmation statement encourages the interview panel to listen to the rest of your answer
42. For technical questions, as well as giving an example, explain the theory relating to the question (project management process, stakeholder matrix, engineering reasoning, etc) Stating a theory highlights a high level of knowledge
43. Always, always, where possible give an example
44. When giving an example 1) state the situation 2) discuss actions you took and the reason why 3) share the positive outcome and/or lessons learnt
45. Relate answers to the organisations vision and mission; “…I know that your company is interested in expanding into X, I have been through this process in a previous company where I was….”
46. Use positive power words/language throughout the interview
47. Nod along when an employer is talking about their company/projects to build rapport and likeability
48. Be aware of the structure of your interview answer. Waffle turns people off, and a lack of an easy to digest sequence losses peoples interest
49. Ask (on some questions), does that answer your question or is there anything else you would like to know
50. At the end of each answer, summaries what you have discussed; “in summary…”

Be seen as an authority

51. What you wear says a lot about. Dress powerfully, be seen as powerful
52. Quote industry experts creates authority via association
53. State data, percentages, quotes, ask this makes information easy to digest
54. Smiling, eye contact, gestures, mirroring, and mimicking language creates high levels of rapport
55. Discuss reasons behind decisions to highlight high levels of knowledge “…there were two options, option would have X, and option two would have Y, I choose option two because….”
56. Build on what an employers states. As an example if they mention about expanding into a new industry discuss the pros and pitfalls, and when possible give advice
57. Praise employers for recently business successes. Hiring mangers subconsciously associate positive feelings with the person they are communicating with
58. Reframe perceived problems. As an example if the employer states they want to expand into a new competitive market, and they make reference to the difficulties on this venture, give them a new frame of reference; “yes it can be difficult, but with my experience of entering new markets I can make the process much easier by…”
59. Prior to job searching, write articles for industry websites as this help you to be seen as an industry expert
60. Give detailed interview answers. Within one answer give several examples to show your breadth of experience

Post job interview

61. Reflect on your interview answers. Which answers worked well, which got lost, which answers could be improved
62. Write down any new examples, improved answers, or engaging ‘lines’ that hit the mark
63. If you have an interview coach book an interview review coaching session to continue to improve your interview answers
64. Continue to job search until you have a job offer(s)
65. For any gaps in your knowledge, undertake some research
66. Think about your non-verbal’s, did your body language, gestures, and facial expressions have a positive impact?
67. Reflect on your tonality, volume, pace. Did these reinforce the words you used?
68. On a scale of 1-1,0 how confident were you? Could your confidence level improve?
69. Write down any of the unexpected or tricky interview questions
70. Ask yourself if you actually want this job role (sometimes an interview tells us this isn’t the company I want to work for)

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Interview Coaching

Need help? Book an interview coaching session.

Virtual job interview coaching can help you achieve your career dreams:

• Double your salary when you master selling yourself in the job interview
• Enjoy the interview process with increased confidence
• Choose the employer of your choice with multiple job offers

With tax increases, cuts backs, and a freeze in recruitment drives, finding a new job is becoming more difficult.

The light at the end of the doomy tunnel is the truth that there are still jobs being advertised.

The number of vacancies has decreased: “Overall vacancies declined to 736,000 over the period from March to May 2025.” Source: Economics observatory, which means competition for each job role is high.

With more people applying for fewer vacancies, who will get hired?

Some say ‘the best person for the role’ will be offered the position, but who is the best person?

The person with the most experience?

The candidate with the highest qualification?

The applicant with a persuasive personality?

Experience, qualifications, or a persuasive personality alone are never enough to guarantee a job offer.

The Interview prediction grid explains how it’s a mixture of perceived experience/qualifications X confident (persuasive) communication that creates a successful interviewee (source: Interview Identity)

Understanding the Rules for a Successful Job Interview

Relevance is king in a job interview.

The biggest mistake experienced career professionals make is discussing experiences that are low on the organisation’s hierarchy of criteria for the advertised position.

For each company, and for each role within the organisation, there is a hierarchy of experiences, skills, knowledge, and qualities that are required for the position being advertised.

Speaking generically, in a structured job interview, each of the hierarchy of criteria will be asked in one of the job interview questions.

If the company values stakeholder management, they may ask, “Give me an example of influencing multiple stakeholders to actively engage them in a multiagency project”.

For a lower-skilled job, where ‘teamwork’ is valued highly, the question may be “Can you share a time you worked successfully within a team?”

Being able to foresee the hierarchy of criteria, therefore predict the interview questions, allows a savvy applicant to rehearse their interview answers.

In a structured job interview, a scoring system is used, where applicants’ answers are graded by being cross-referenced against a list of criteria and/or example answers.

The scoring system is often 1(low) to 4 (high). The interviewee with the highest score, the person who references more of the essential criteria, is offered the role.

Job criteria can be easy to predict. For some roles, finance, as an example, mathematics, and financial knowledge, will be on the hierarchy of criteria.

The company values, mission, and vision will also give clues to how the organisation operates, which links directly to their operational styles.

As an example, the company may be proactive or reactive, innovative or process-driven, and they may be a large corporation or a small family business.

The wording of the interview question also gives clues to the hierarchy of criteria. “Give me an example of influencing multiple stakeholders to actively engage them in a multiagency project,” compared to “give me an example of successfully working with multiple stakeholders.”

Even though the questions are similar, the word “influencing” is key here. The interviewee may discuss stakeholder theory, such as the stakeholder matrix, to explain the reason behind their actions, helping to acquire a higher scoring interview answer.

The key to a successful job interview is only discussing relevant information in your interview answer.

Language influences

Self-promotion is not only key for a successful job interview, but it is also expected.

Research has proven that detailed (relevant) interview answers score higher than simple and short replies.

What is important when selling yourself is the promotional language that is used. Words have power.

Synonyms are important here; imagine your answers use the word ‘good’ to describe your work ethic.

At an emotional level, how does the word ‘good’ feel? If ‘good’ was replaced with ‘strong’, ‘excellent’, ‘outstanding’, ‘brilliant’, or even ‘exceptional’, would this feel better?

Remember, employers often have a ‘gut’ feeling about an applicant, which influences how they score their answers.

A big barrier, often caused by interview anxiety, is the lack of detail given during an interview answer. It’s common for candidates to answer behavioural interview questions (give me an example of…) by saying  “yes this is something I have a lot of experience in” or something similar in length. The answer may confirm the required experience, but doesn’t actually say anything.

How much experience? What level of knowledge? What active role did you have? Do you have the underpinning knowledge for this task?

Employers need to know the breadth of an applicant’s experience and knowledge. A strong way to answer behavioural interview questions is with the ‘theory X experience’  interview answer formula.

First, the interviewee discusses the theory behind the job criteria (explaining the stakeholder matrix theory) and then gives a real-life example.

All examples should state the situation (what was being asked of them), actions taken (be specific here), and the positive outcome of the actions taken.

Employers will only know how good you are if you tell them

Confident communication is the icing on the interview answer

People like to hire confident professionals.

We like and admire confidence in others.

Confident communication is powerful in a job interview. If answers are self-promoting and relevant to the job criteria, speaking like a professional orator will add those vital extra points on the interview scorecard.

Public speakers know the value of confident communication and use the following techniques to be viewed as strong speakers:

Pause after each sentence and paragraph – the pause allows the interview panel to catch up (they will be busy scribbling down notes) and shows confidence as nervous people speak quickly without a break, losing the interest of the audience

Reduce filler words (urms and arghs) – filler words are the way your brain fills silences, as anxious people hate silences. But filler words are viewed as an annoying habit, and remove the vital pause that allows the interviewer to listen intently to the applicant’s interview answer

Non-verbal’s are key – smiling, eye contact, and positive gestures add volume to the words spoken. People always use non-verbal’s, even nervous interviewees, but their non-verbal’s highlight fear and weakness (looking away, head down, cold and damp handshake, pulling at imaginary threads)

Rhetoric devices – the use of rhetorical devices embedded into interview answers is an advanced technique. The best orators throughout history use rhetorical devices, as they help residents their story to an audience, influencing them at a subconscious level.

Common rhetorical devices:

• Logos: Appeals to logic and reason, using evidence, statistics, and facts to support an argument. 
• Pathos: Appeals to emotion, using strong language, vivid imagery, and stories to connect with the audience on an emotional level. 
• Ethos: Appeals to credibility and authority, establishing the speaker or writer as knowledgeable and trustworthy. 

• Metaphor: A figure of speech that compares two unlike things without using “like” or “as”. 
• Simile: A figure of speech that compares two things using “like” or “as”. 
• Hyperbole: Exaggerated statements not meant to be taken literally. 
• Alliteration: The repetition of the same sounds or syllables at the beginning of words. 
• Anaphora: The repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive clauses. 
• Anadiplosis: The repetition of the last word or phrase of a clause at the beginning of the next. 
• Antithesis: The contrast of opposing ideas in parallel form. 
• Rhetorical question: A question that does not require an answer, used to make a point. 

Use the right words to make a big statement

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Interview Coaching

Need help? Book an interview coaching session.

Virtual job interview coaching can help you achieve your career dreams:

• Double your salary when you master selling yourself in the job interview
• Enjoy the interview process with increased confidence
• Choose the employer of your choice with multiple job offers

Career progression is only possible by overcoming the hurdle that is the job interview.

Why does the job interview seem such a barrier? Surely, a 45 minute 1-2-1 talking about one’s own workplace achievements must be easy?  

Three psychological traps are the reason why most people fear the recruitment process.

1. Humans hate the unknown

For many, job interviews are rare. Career professionals, research shows, only tend to apply for a new role every 3-5 years.

Even during this brief period of active searching, most job seekers only attend 2-3 job interviews.

Comfort comes from routine, and nervousness from the unknown. Attending a job interview activates the flight or fight response, in most cases its ‘flight’ rather than ‘fight’.

Unknown processes, unknown interviewers, unknown interview questions, so many unknowns that the mind reacts like it would to any threat – flight or fight.

2. The spotlight is blinding

Only a small group of people like being in the spotlight.

Most career professionals hate the thought of the focus being fully on them. In the job interview, the spotlight is fully on the job applicant, and shining bright. The interview panel, often 2-3 managers and HR personnel, spends the whole of the job interview fully focused on the interviewee:

Questions are asked, answers are queried, and eyes are focused fully on the applicant.

The number one fear in the world is ‘being the centre of attention’ And the interview is public speaking to a small group of strangers, all eyes are on you.

3. Worthy or worthless

At a psychological level, humans need to feel that they belong. This is because we evolved as a species that survives as a tight-knit group. Tribes survived longer than individuals when we roamed the earth as hunter-gatherers.

At some level humans still have this need to belong and hate the thought of being rejected. In the job interview we naturally think that we are not worthy for the role: others may be better, maybe I’m not as good as I thought I was, have I been faking my ability to do my role?

Will I get rejected if I apply for the advertised position?

This limiting belief of not being good enough claws away at our self-esteem, often resulting in interview answers that lack substance, detail, and enough self-promotion to generate a job offer.

With all the negativity, most people believe its easier to give up (not apply for the job) on job searching rather than going through the pain of having to attend a process that will uncover their weaknesses, resulting in a big rejection – a job decline letter, making them feel worthless.

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Master Motivation, Master Job Advancement

The truth is, job motivation is easy to encourage. When motivated and confident, the job application becomes a clear communicator who can talk the talk and walk the walk. They can sell themselves, build rapport, and enjoy the job interview process.

When it comes down to it, the job interview is only a 45-minute process, 5-10 minutes of this is the employer talking about their organisation (to sell the job role/organisation to the applicant). The first interview question is always an open question that is easy to answer, and the final question is normally ‘do you have any questions for us?’

So, out of 45 minutes, it’s really about 30 minutes of the ‘tough’ interview questions.

Tough? Not really, these days the interview questions are based on the job role, ‘do you have experience of doing (task)?’

This makes it easy to predict the interview questions, allowing the career professional to prepare and practice their interview answers.

Practice creates motivation.

It is well documented that familiarity makes a task easier. By practising job interviews with an interview coach, interview AI videos, even by attending public speaking workshops, talking more about yourself, or by practicing the interview questions and answers on your own increases motivation because the process of question/answer becomes familiar.

Speaking improves communication. Sounds silly, I know, but the more someone practices communication, the better their oration skill become. This is key in a job interview as every answer needs to be clear, concise, and to be understood by the interview panel.

Often overlooked, confident communication is powerful in a job interview as helping another person see your version of a story, not their perception, helps you to sell your unique selling point.

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In the job interview, there is an additional step to gaining a job offer.

Answering questions confidently isn’t enough to guarantee a successful interview outcome. What is needed is self-promotion. As referred to earlier, the need to avoid rejection is powerful. If a job applicant has low self-esteem, they need to turn this emotion around into something more powerful and useful.

Confidence and motivation are key to interview success. Employers use a structured job interview process where each job interview question is asked to all applicants and answers a scored depending on how they meet the job criteria. An interview answer that ticks all the boxes scores high, whereas an answer or example that seems irrelevant or lacks specifics will always score low.

To self-promote, the candidate must understand the organization, their vision, and the day-to-day duties. This needs detailing: is the organization process-driven or innovative?  What specific tasks does the role entail?  Is the goal quality, financial, or something else? The more an interviewee understands the brief of the role, the more they can detail how they meet the specific criteria in their interview answers, resulting in a high-scoring application.

To pass a job interview

Get motivated by a strong self-belief that you will succeed

Get familiar with job interviews (through practice)

Get confident in answering interview questions

Get skilled at selling yourself

Get knowledgeable about the job role you are applying for

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Interview Coaching

Need help? Book an interview coaching session.

Virtual job interview coaching can help you achieve your career dreams:

• Double your salary when you master selling yourself in the job interview
• Enjoy the interview process with increased confidence
• Choose the employer of your choice with multiple job offers