Interviews are a necessary step in career change, whether they’re conducted by telephone or face-to-face. Impressing at interview can make the difference between a successful career and a stalled career and excelling at interview can also accelerate career progression as candidate skills and abilities are emphasised.
Here at Gateway we believe a key component of a successful interview is to be informed. The small talk before and after an interview is also an opportunity to impress. Demonstrating an understanding of an industry, profession or organisation can help build empathy – and that leads to leaving the right impression.
Being informed is about more than knowing the technical details of the job you do (or apply for). It’s about taking raw skills and placing them into the context of an organisation so those skills can be activated, moving the organisation forward.
Where do You Find Your Information?
Here are some places where you can find the knowledge to keep you informed:
- General publications. Newspapers and magazines – knowing what government policies are likely to change and how that affects a whole industry can be found in the newspapers.
- Specialist publications. Industry magazines often cover technical subjects in depth and these magazines also cover new developments. If your qualifications are old, then knowing about and speaking confidently about new initiatives and having an opinion keep you up-to-date.
- Networking meetings. Attending events and exhibitions usually involves listening to a speaker too (or talking to people around you). An excellent way to gather information.
- Online professional websites. Most professional bodies have an online presence. Read the websites and keep up-to-date with current trends in your profession.
- Online networking. Specialist sites exist and watching the topics being discussed (as well as joining in – but that’s another blog post) will keep you informed. This is also a good way to build a contacts list for your speculative letters.
Would you like a good place to start? Keep informed for your next interview, join the Gateway Careers Discussion Group on Linked In.