Tips for interview success

"I’m Sarah and I work for MorePeople. I’ve been specialising in recruitment for the Horticulture industry for nearly 6 years now. I spent a lot of time in my role supporting and coaching people who are looking for roles on how to master their CV, interview with confidence and succeed in their career goals.

It goes without saying that interviews are challenging. They can cause stress and you don’t always come across as the best version of yourself. So, what can you do?"

1.Plan from the start

"If you’ve got an interview request, you’ve already beat the first hurdle. There are a few things to try and find out from when the interview gets confirmed. If you’re using a recruiter, they will get this information for you, and if not, make sure to ask."

2.Process

"Interview processes differ business to business. Typically, we see the first stages done over a phone call or a team’s call, with the second and final stage on site.

There could be a presentation, a trial day or time meeting the team. All of this is normal, but it’s important to try to find out with as much notice as possible."

3.Video Interviews

"With video interviews, there are a couple of things to think about.

The first is the background. You want to be somewhere with a plain background, nothing that’s going to be distracting. We’ve all seen the news clips of people discussing serious matters but have a questionable background, and you never remember what they’re saying! Some platforms (such as teams) have the option to blur your background, which is a good option too.

The second is making sure everything works. Have you got the link? Does your microphone and audio work ok? Have you got the enough internet to stop any lag? It’s always good to do a test run with your recruiter, or a friend to check this."

4.Face to Face interviews

"When meeting someone face to face, make sure you know where you’re going. If you have a chance to drive there before the interview that’s great but if not, make sure you check on maps the distance and always aim to get there 15 minutes early.

Check on the day, to allow for traffic and make sure you know what to do when you arrive."

5.Dress Code

"When you’re doing a video interview, you only need to be shouldered up, but you should still wear something smart.

For face to face, it’s always worth asking what the dress code is. In horticulture, I tend to find that few people expect you to be suited and booted, because that’s not the businesses day-to-day attire. Typically, smart shirt/blouse, smart trousers and appropriate footwear is best, but ask if you’re not sure!

If your interview includes walking around a site, a tour of an outdoor set up, then make sure you’re dressed appropriately for this. It’s ok to have a pair of wellies or boots and a raincoat in the car!"

6.Research

"This is the most vital part of an interview. They’ve seen your CV, and they want to meet you, so now it’s your time to shine."

7.Interview

"During the interview itself, there will be standard questions they ask you.

If you search ‘standard interview questions,’ there are many that come up repeatedly. Prepare an answer to that, and jot down an example so you have something to refer back to.

It’s absolutely fine to take notes into an interview. In my opinion, I think it’s better to do this, because it shows you’ve prepared.

Always have a glass of water to hand. If you need a second to think about an answer, you can take a sip of water and it stops any awkward silences.

If you don’t know the answer to a question, be honest and ask if you can come back to it. Move on to the next question and revisit it later."

8.Questions

"An interview always ends of ‘have you got any questions?’ and the most important thing to do is have questions to ask. You’ll find a lot of your questions have been asked during the interview, so if you get stuck ask them about the culture of the company, or the size of the team – something that gives you a break from speaking.

In a first interview, don’t ask about salaries, holidays etc unless they bring it up. There’s time to do this once you’ve built rapport."

9.The End of the Interview

"When it gets to the end of the interview, leave it on a positive note. Shake hands and reiterate your interest in the company or position.

Ask what the timelines are. When can you expect to hear from them? It’s important that you know this, so you can plan accordingly.

It shows great proactivity if you follow up the next day with a thank you email. If you’re using a recruiter, then they can pass this on. If not, reach out to who organised it and pass on your interest again."

MorePeople is a specialist recruitment business providing permanent and interim solutions for the Produce & Horticulture, Food, Agriculture and Garden & Leisure sectors across the UK and internationally