Welcome to Part 3 of our Interview series!
To re-cap from the last 2 posts in the series, we covered:
- Pre-Application: Steps to take when getting ready for the job market and;
- Curriculum Vitae: Tips on how to make your CV as presentable as possible to your future employer.
This week we are covering Research and Presentation.
Research
Once you have applied for a position with a company or organisation it is very important to research everything you can about it. This is also a good step to do before you apply as you would want to know whether you are a good fit and whether the organisation has similar cultural values to your own.
Preparation is key to ensuring your interview is a successful one!
Some steps and tips to consider are:
- Go to the company’s website and read about the organisation.
- If there is an option to request more information about their menu/bookings or other services place a request with them.
- Read any news articles on the company/organisation on the site, but also Google for information on them also. This is a great way to find out more about their public profile.
- Find out the people to whom you would be reporting to.
- If you can also find out via your social networks if anyone knows someone working there. You will be able to learn more about how the staff are treated, whether they have career opportunities within, training, working environment and/or other staff benefits.
- These and other questions you compile can also be asked of us when you discuss a role at MiseEnPlace Recruitment!
Presentation
When attending an interview it is important that you present well and appropriately for the job. A suit may not be required for a Head Chef position, but it may be appropriate for a Customer Service role in a Hotel. It needs to be relevant to the job you are applying for.
As they say you gain an impression of someone you meet for the first time in the first 90 seconds. Some say it can be less time than that!
Interviews are always a nerve-wracking experience some other tips to help you through are:
- Take your notes and not try to remember everything. Include in your notes questions that you can ask your interviewers.
- Make sure you get ready in enough time and allow plenty of time for travel and/or possible delays.
- Make sure you also have a light meal prior so that your thoughts are not taken over with eating food, rather than informing your interviewers on your skills in preparing and/or serving it!
- Take a few deep breaths beforehand and think about a pleasant way to break the ice.
- Its important to ensure you have a pleasant smile and be happy about meeting your interviewers. Also ensure you remember their names when answering their questions.
- Remember to turn off your mobile phone and/or make it silent.
We will share these and more in the next part of our series where we will go into more detail about the interview itself. When we see you at our office to talk about a position we will also share a lot more tips and information with you. It is our job to prepare you for the interview and we will help match you to the most suitable role. In the meantime if you have any questions please feel free to contact us direct or reply below.
Feel free also to share what your interview tips are when apply for hospitality jobs, we’d love to hear from you!