Chaan
D ESI G N
STUD I O
Interview
Guide
2
The Purpose of an Interview
15
Know Your Resume
3
How You Can Prepare
16
Body Language
Your Appearance
3
Research the Business
17
4
Anticipate the Questions
18
Final Notes
5
Prepare Your Answers
19
Need More Help?
The Purpose of an Interview
If you’ve reached this stage, WELL DONE! You
should already be proud of getting to this point as
you’re already in the top 1% of candidates!
Why do employers have interviews?
Why don’t they just hire you based on your
resume?
Now that you’ve secured an interview having
already written a solid resume, it’s time to focus on
what steps you can take to smash the interview
too. This guide will demonstrate the most important
aspects and turn that initial fear into confidence.
The core two reasons that job interviews exist:
1. it allows the employer to find out what you can
offer the company, and why they should hire
you.
2. it also gives you an opportunity to find out if
your career ambitions align with the prospect of
working with this company.
Pretty simple right?
Try to view a job interview as a conversation
between you and the employer, rather than a type
of Q&A interview. Being able to relax and unmask
your personality is a great way to connect with the
interviewer.
Now we’ll go through what you can do to make the
most of the opportunity.
2
How You Can Prepare
Research the Business
Try and learn relevant information about the
company that can support you during the interview.
Find their website, ask friends who may work there,
scroll through their social media, etc.
Your goal isn’t just to learn everything you possibly
can, but specific areas such as the company:
• Culture
• Achievements
• Public perception
The reason for this is that, during the interview,
you may be able to refer to these in one of your
answers, or even questions, to the interviewer. Them
knowing that you already have knowledge of the
business will immediately make you stand out.
To understand a company’s culture, the first place
to go is their website (if they have one). Quite often
you’ll see on the homepage what they stand for
and what their goal is. Along with this, find their
social media. Places such as Facebook, Twitter, and
LinkedIn. Here you’ll find a vast number of various
highlights demonstrating who they are and what
they’re about.
As mentioned above, social media is the best place
to find out about what a company has achieved
and sometimes how they achieved it. Try to
understand recent achievements as these will be
great to bring up at the interview.
To figure out how a business is viewed through the
eyes of its employees, go to Glassdoor.com. Here,
you’ll be able to see the reviews that both past and
current employees have left regarding their time
there.
3
Anticipate the Questions
Interview questions can be tough to answer, so
having a look ahead at what might jump out at you
will be a great boost to your confidence. Plus, you’ll
find that after going through these questions and
answers, you’ll be even more prepared to answer
ones you weren’t expecting too!
Although having said that, according to interview
coach John Lees, “Surprise questions aren’t as
common as you’d think; 85% of questions are
entirely predictable.”
Well, that’s good news!
Here we’ll go through the top 10 most likely
questions that you are likely to be asked during the
interview, and how you can flawlessly answer them.
4
Prepare Your Answers
Tell me about yourself.
Example answer:
Is there anyone that likes answering this question?
My name is Kenneth Hamilton and I am 27 years
old.
The reason it’s tricky is that it’s both an open
question, and it’s forcing you to talk about yourself
in a manner you’re not used to.
Look at it from their perspective, the interviewer is
trying to figure out what kind of personality you
have and if you’d fit into the team.
Your goal here is to present yourself as the ideal
candidate, but also try to keep your answer
relevant to the role you are being interviewed for.
Start off introducing yourself with the basics:
What’s your name?
How old are you?
Where are you from?
I’ve worked as a Financial Advisor for 3+ years at
[company name].
I have some background in law, having studied at
[university name].
Throughout my career, I’ve been lucky enough to
be involved in some great projects.
For example, at [company name], I led a project
which aimed to track where the missing stock
ends up at, and how we can rectify this. The new
solution was a much better fit for our business,
which immediately led to savings of up to $75,000
annually.
Talk about your strengths and how they can relate
to the role.
5
Prepare Your Answers (continued.)
What do you know about the company?
Example answer:
As discussed on page 3 (Research the Business),
make sure you have at least some prior knowledge
of the company’s culture and achievements.
Having heard about the opening within your
organization, I did a little more research and I fell in
love with your long term goals.
The more you know about the business, the higher
the chance you’ll get hired.
I was particularly interested in a project you did,
I think around 7 months ago, where [explain the
project and why you admired it, etc.].
Here, the interviewer will expect you to ideally know
about their:
• Industry
Ultimately, having worked with similar software,
there’s no doubt that [this software] is the most
user-friendly, and by far has the most potential.
• Goals
• Major competitors
• Company culture
• Potential challenges
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Prepare Your Answers (continued.)
What can you bring to the company?
or
Why should we hire you?
Although it can be seen as a bit of a trap question.
Don’t go overboard with how great you are - you
don’t want to sound big-headed.
This is basically a comparison question as they are
looking to compare your skill set with what they
require.
Talk about your previous experience and how it ties
in with the role you’re applying for. Mention the skills
you’ve learned along the way and how it’s shaped
where you are now. Based on this, what can you do
to apply these skills and experiences to the position
and make the most of the opportunity?
Example answer:
As I’ve previously worked at [company name], it
allowed me to shine in customer service as I was
able to really connect with customers on a face-toface level.
Over the 2 years I was with them they awarded
me 9 ‘Employee of the Month’ awards, and I was
recognized by the head of sales when they came to
visit.
Because I love what I do, I’m looking at how I can
grow even further within my role and offer better
service every time.
This is why I decided to apply for this position as it
stands out to me as a place where I can not only
offer my skills and expertise but also somewhere
that will push me to constantly better myself.
7
Prepare Your Answers (continued.)
What are your strengths?
Example answer:
Don’t overexaggerate or lie about your strengths.
Always choose something that you are genuinely
good at.
Something that I’ve been able to develop over
the last few years working at Starbucks has been
keeping my cool working under pressure.
Choose from one of your ‘Skills’ on your resume.
This way you can relate to what you have already
stated.
It’s a skill you need to learn fast, as it very quickly
goes from one person in the queue to thirty. This
meant that whilst I needed to maintain my focus on
the customer, I also had to be very quick at making
the coffees to the same high standard.
If it’s something like ‘working under pressure’, you
could apply this to any number of experiences in
your past roles (or school if you’re just starting out).
After around 4 months of working there, the
manager commended me for my composure
and offered me a supervisor role which I gladly
accepted! This meant I was now training others on
how to remain calm and train them in their roles.
8
Prepare Your Answers (continued.)
What are your weaknesses?
Example answer:
How NOT to answer: “Oh, I have no weaknesses! I’m
great at everything!”
Going into a team leader role, I was inexperienced
with leadership abilities and I felt that this was
something I needed to work on as I had never been
in charge of a group of people before.
Every person has something they’re not great at;
something they try to improve on. It’s what keeps
people motivated to do better each day.
Being self-aware of these weaknesses, and how
you can improve upon them, is a valuable skill in
itself.
Your answer should be something realistic that you
can actively work towards getting better at.
Pro tip: don’t use something that you’ve written in
your ‘Skills’ section on your resume - that would
raise some eyebrows.
My teamwork has always been something I’m
proud of, but managing a team is different.
Over the years, I’ve worked on this and periodically
checked in with my manager to see how I’m getting
on. The feedback from her was always really
helpful in improving my ability.
Now I would say it’s something that I am pushing
towards a strength rather than a weakness. But
there are still areas that I’d like to work on before
getting there.
9
Prepare Your Answers (continued.)
What challenges are you looking for?
Example answer:
Talk about both your short and long-term goals
and what you’re looking to get out of them. Think of
the potential challenges that come with these goals
and how you can push past them.
My communication was something that I was
aware of needing improvement. Managing a team
of 9 meant I had to be available 24/7 and able to
communicate effectively with each member of the
team.
Relate to what key challenges the employer faces
regularly, and how you can resolve them.
If you can’t find out the challenges the employer
deals with, look at your career. Pick something that
you are actively looking to improve.
It’s important that when answering this question
you relate it to something you have a potential
solution to; as this is what the employer is ultimately
looking for when asking the question.
Looking back at the last year I have definitely
improved and become much more confident in my
ability to communicate, but it’s also something I
need to continually improve.
With this role, I know I’ll be able to really apply
myself and eventually excel in this area due to
the constant face-to-face discussions within the
business. So the opportunity to continually get out
of my comfort zone is a challenge I’m keen to face.
10
Prepare Your Answers (continued.)
Why choose us?
Example answer:
What is it that makes you interested in working for
this company? Is there something unique about
them that stands out to you?
As I have just graduated from [university] with my
Business Management degree, I’ve been excited
with the prospect of gaining some real-world
experience.
Try to look for something about the business
that relates to you. For example, if you have
studied Business Management at university, this
could be an opportunity to express how wellmanaged you view the company. Point out some
of their achievements and how it takes a great
business plan to achieve such success; and that
you’d love the opportunity to discover what great
management looks like with your own eyes.
This could then lead to you talking about your longterm goals with the company, eventually climbing
the ladder, etc.
I have always viewed [company name] as a
positive example of great leadership. In fact, we
discussed your organization in one of our university
lectures regarding businesses that are leading the
way in the fight against climate change!
Your company makes a positive difference in the
world, and I’m passionate about contributing to that
same cause.
Having someone so obviously passionate about the
role tends to make you far more likely to get hired.
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Prepare Your Answers (continued.)
What achievement are you most proud of?
Example answer:
It’s crucial to choose the right achievement to
answer this question, as the interviewer wants to
know what your priorities are when it comes to
what you view as important.
Ever since I can remember, I have been terrified of
public speaking.
Remember, employers are looking for someone
who can provide value. So the ideal option would be
to go with an achievement that demonstrates this.
Think about your goals, but also something that
can set you apart from the crowd. Did you have
any challenges during university? Or maybe when
you started a new role you weren’t given as much
support as was needed, but you still managed to
push through and achieve results?
Last year, during one of our group projects for
university, I was leading the team. This meant I
would have to present to our whole class at the end
of the project.
I was dreading it for a while, but I realized that
instead of constantly being afraid of the inevitable, I
would try my best to overcome my fear. This meant
reading public speaking books and talking in front
of my friends and family as practice.
When it came to the class presentation, I was
amazed at how helpful that practicing was; I nailed
it! The class gave me a standing ovation - and we
got the highest score for the project!
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Prepare Your Answers (continued.)
Where do you see yourself in five years?
Example answer:
“Not stuck in this same position.”
In the next five years, I’d love to be in some sort of
leadership role within the business.
This may be your first thought, and everyone,
including the employer, would have the same
opinion. However, what you must be sure of when
asked this question, is that you answer with a
positive.
Try to think of a realistic expectation, whilst also
relating it to the company. One where you can
visualize the journey in getting there.
I’ve always craved responsibility, and I was
fortunate enough to be able to have a fair bit of
responsibility in my past role(s).
My previous managers were incredibly helpful in
offering me advice and mentorship, so I would
love the opportunity to provide what I’ve learned to
others once I’ve been able to master the role.
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Prepare Your Answers (continued.)
Do you have any questions for us?
Example questions to ask:
Employers will often ask this at the end of an
interview to give you the chance to ask anything
that may be on your mind regarding the role.
1. What’s the best thing about working here?
Always ask a question! This is an opportunity to
prove to the interviewer that you are enthusiastic
about the company and the role. It will only benefit
your chances, depending on the question you ask
of course.
Go for open-ended questions rather than ones
where they can simply reply ‘yes’ or ‘no’.
2. What is the company doing differently to beat
competitors?
3. What is the organization’s culture like?
4. What does a regular day in the business look
like?
5. Have I answered all your questions? Or is there
something else I can clarify for you?
6. What is the department’s biggest challenge at
the moment?
7. What opportunities are there for future
development?
8. What are the performance expectations for
someone in this role?
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Know Your Resume
Make sure you study what you’ve written in your
resume and know it inside out!
Undoubtedly, an interviewer will ask you a question
about one of your bullet points and you’ll need
to know exactly what you’ve written and how to
answer their question whilst expanding on what’s
already been stated.
Sometimes, an interviewer may ‘test’ your
knowledge or skills based on what’s written in
your resume. If you say you’re fluent in French, for
example, they may ask you to say a few words;
they may even be fluent themselves!
Or if you’ve stated that you managed to increase
sales by 200%, they may ask what budget this
was based on, and what the 200% translates to in
figures.
These are the kind of small details you’ll need to be
able to back up with solid answers.
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Body Language
You can learn a lot from someone
based on their body language.
During a job interview, it’s important to
be aware of your body language, as
this can directly affect the interviewer’s
opinion of you.
Depending on how you manage your
body language, it could reveal whether
you are confident, focused, happy,
nervous, shy, or even bored.
At the same time, whilst it’s great
to come across as confident, you
don’t want to appear as arrogant or
obnoxious either. Finding a balance is
key.
Here, we’ve gathered some useful tips
that will ensure you make the best first
impression.
1. Maintain eye contact
Probably the most important aspect of an interview. This
shows that you’re interested and paying attention when
they speak.
2. Sit up straight
This will display confidence and strength.
3. Talk with your hands
When talking, using your hands to help express what
you’re trying to say will display honesty and openness.
4. Remember to smile!
Smiling shows that you’re comfortable, calm, and in
control. It’s also nice for the employer to see that you’re
not a moody, sour-looking person!
5. Nod when listening
Along with eye contact, this demonstrates that you are
actively listening to and engaging with what is being said.
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Your Appearance
Your appearance is the first thing the employer sees when they
meet you. Having a professional look demonstrates that you’re
someone who takes this seriously, whereas the opposite will
immediately show that you are unprofessional and don’t care.
First, you must find out what to wear as depending on the
company, it may be slightly different than for someone else. If
you’re not entirely sure though, a safe option would be to wear at
least a shirt and tie, maybe even a full suit.
If that’s the case, don’t spend all your money on an expensive
suit. There are plenty of budget stores that will give you exactly
what you need at an affordable price.
Be sure to shower and practice good hygiene before turning up
to the interview. Neglecting these areas will surely be a turn off
for any potential employers almost immediately.
Wearing cologne or perfume is great, but make sure you don’t
go crazy with it. You don’t want it to overwhelm you and the
interviewer.
Demonstrating that you take care of your appearance will also
show interviewers that you care about the role you’re applying
for.
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Final Notes
• Locate where the interview is prior to the day
• Take two copies of your resume in case your
employer forgets
• Arrive 10 to 15 minutes early
• Give a strong and confident handshake
• Send a thank-you note after the interview to
express your appreciation. Remember, a thankyou template is included with your purchase!
The perfect candidate doesn’t exist, and employers
know this. Don’t stress yourself about getting
everything right. All you can do is your best, and
employers will see that. That alone will show how
passionate you are to land the role.
Apply these tips, and you’ll be on your way to
securing that job!
I hope this guide has helped you and made the
process a little easier.
You Got This!
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Need More Help?
If you require additional help or support
please do not hesitate to contact us and
we will be more than happy to assist.
To get in touch, you can either message
us on Etsy or use the email below:
ChattanDesignStudio@gmail.com
Chaan
D ESI G N
ST U D I O
19