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What are the Typical Stages of a Job Interview?

A job interview can be a daunting process, especially for those who are new to the job search process. Bearing this in mind, getting your first interview can be both exciting and nerve-wracking. Sometimes not knowing what to expect can increase that nervousness, so getting ahead of the curve is important.

We have listed some of the typical stages of a job interview below to help you understand what to expect and what to do on your first tech digital interview.

1. The Start of the Job Interview - Introductions and Small Talk

They say everyone gets one chance to make a first impression. A job interview is one of these chances, you'll want to make sure your first experience with the person who chooses whether to hire you is a positive one. The same goes for hiring managers when meeting a candidate, if this is the right person for the role, the job role needs to appeal to them as well.

Looking presentable and introducing yourself in a friendly but professional manner is the key to succeeding at this stage and a firm handshake and eye contact is always a winner.

Creating polite and engaging conversation before you get to business is also an advantage. Striking up a rapport and coming across as someone that would be great to have in the office during the week can be a huge bonus to your chances of employment.

2. The Company, Information & Values

Usually, this is the second or third part of a job interview, this part will allow the employer to convey information about the company offering the interview.

A job interview works two-way, you don't want to work somewhere that doesn't speak to your values and aims in life, by offering some information about the company and its values a lot of interviewers paint a picture of life in their workplace.

The added advantage of this phase it allows you to frame your experiences and skills in a way that can relate to the company and what it offers its customers/clients.

3. Covering Experience and Skills

Once introductions have been made and everyone is settled in, it will be time to get to you, your skills and what you have to offer. This can be a tough part of the interview process for a lot of people. The spotlight is well and truly on the candidate here.

Despite the pressure to perform, there's nothing to worry about here, especially for entry-level candidates. Moreover, you've got the skills and education to impress, as long as you get that information across concisely and professionally you'll do great.

Usually, this part of the interview will be done in a Q&A format. The interviewer will field relevant questions about the role and skills needed for the job role.

A bit of pre-interview research can help you here, there are a lot of resources online that can help with how to answer interview questions and what employers looking for including our partner company Searchability's blog and our page covering information on certain tech digital roles.

4. Your Questions – Now It's Your Job Interview

Job Interview Candidates

Now that the interviewer knows about your skillset and what you have to offer, it's time for the next step. You're going to want to make sure you've got the complete picture. An interviewer will usually ask you if you have any questions to ask them toward the end of an interview.

This provides you with an opportunity to clear up anything you're unsure about with the job role and company or to clarify any information you heard earlier in the interview but weren't sure about.

Although there are a lot of different questions you can ask your interviewer. You are better off making sure the questions you ask are relevant and professional.

Bearing this in mind, below are a few examples of relevant and professional questions you can ask during an interview:

  • "What does a typical working day look like at this company?"
  • "What type of skillset are you looking to fill with a new hire?"
  • "Are there any training programs available to your employees?"
  • "Is there a performance review process and how often is it carried out?"
  • "Is the work in this department usually collaborative or more independent?"

5. Wrapping Up

So, questions have been answered and the interview is coming to a close. Usually now your interviewer will let you know what happens next.

If there is another interview stage you'll be told all the details about that. Sometimes a second interview will be a presentation or a test of technical abilities. If you have been told about either of these it gives you time to prepare for the next time.

However, if this is a single phase or the last interview things will go a little differently. The interviewer may give a time frame on how long until you hear about the results. In some cases, you be given a quick summary of how your performance was.

And that's a wrap! Those are the usual stages you'll go through during your average interview. Some interviews may vary but this is your typical example of what to expect or prepare for.

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