When you’re nervous about an interview, it’s really easy to focus on the standard questions.
“What are your strengths?”
“What’s your biggest weakness?”
“Why should we hire you?”
And yes, it’s worth having an idea of how you’ll answer those.
But don’t spend so much time preparing the perfect answers that you forget about your actual experience.
That’s often what an interviewer really wants to hear about.
Think about a few situations from your career that you could talk through:
• A problem you solved
• Something that didn’t go to plan
• A challenge you had to work through
• A time you worked well with a team
• Something you’re genuinely proud of
You don’t need to have a rehearsed story for every possible question. Just think about what happened, what you did, and what the outcome was.
And if you’re coming to New Zealand or Australia from overseas, don’t forget that your experience counts too.
The way things were done in your previous country or workplace might be different, but the skills you’ve picked up along the way are still valuable. Be prepared to explain how that experience could translate into the role you’re applying for.
Interviews can be nerve-wracking. You’re not expected to have every answer nailed perfectly.
Just be prepared, be yourself, and be able to talk about what you’ve actually done.
Your experience is your story. Don’t forget to tell it.
