1. Employers are looking for the right graduate to do the job

Employers spend a lot of time and money recruiting employees. They are looking for candidates who can show their motivation and passion for the job and the sector. Employers also want to see your relevant skills and strengths.

If you have an invitation to an interview, the employer thinks you could be successful in the role. Take some time to prepare some final tailored points for your interview. 

What does this mean for you? 

• Analyse the job description or person specification to understand the skills needed. Prepare examples to illustrate you have these skills.
• Research the sector and organisation. Find out their purpose such as product, offer or service. Learn more about their customers and competitors. Learn the company's values. Read about the latest developments within the company and sector from their websites and wider news. 
• You can use this background information to answer questions linked to your motivation in applying for the role. It demonstrates your interest, and ability to learn more. 

2. Employers want to hear what you've learnt from your experiences

Many students worry that employers ONLY want to hear about industry-related or paid work experiences. We’d like to reassure you that this isn't the case. 

Employers are much more interested in what you have learned from any of your experiences. Job descriptions often focus on transferable skills such as communication, teamwork and problem-solving skills. These crucial skills will have developed across your time at university. 

Don’t just focus on your subject knowledge and technical skills. Employers are keen to hear about everything else you have to offer and how that relates to the job and organisation.

What does this mean for you?

• What are the broad experiences that showcase how you have been proactively developing a range of skills? For example, work shadowing, independent research, volunteering, roles within clubs or societies, short courses, university projects, or even part-time work. 
• Come up with two or three key experiences that show a range of skills. This can help your confidence when you answer a question. Think about what you did, what you learnt about yourself, and why that’s relevant to the role you are interviewing for.
• Describing your transferable skills using a reflective framework like STAR can help you focus on how you put them into action. 

3. Employers are looking for a candidate with potential

It can be easy to think that employers are looking for perfection in their candidates. But let us reassure you that the perfect candidate does not exist. 

Success in an interview doesn't rely on ticking all the boxes on a job description or person specification. Showing you have a genuine interest in the role and the organisation along with a learning mindset can be as effective. 

What does this mean for you?

• Think about what genuinely drew you to the company and the job when you first read the job description. How would you summarise that authentically to the employer in an interview? 
• Your written application led to your invitation to an interview. The employer thinks you have the potential to be successful in the role based on the evidence you provided there. Use it as a foundation to prepare more detailed examples for the interview. 
• Don’t feel you have to be an expert on everything the company does. Your research will only reveal a fraction of insight. Make time to prepare questions that allow the employer to share more about the organisation. These could focus on training opportunities, work culture, or expectations of new recruits. 

When you’re interviewing, it’s easy to get lost in the role and the company. You forget sometimes that they are there to find out about you and what you can add to the role.

I remind myself of my experience, and what I bring to the table.