Celebrating National Careers Week 2024 - Top Ten Interview Tips!
Details: Written by Kate Hutchinson
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Published:
National Careers Week is a celebration of careers guidance and free resources across the UK and to celebrate, here at The Skills Network we’ve pulled together some top tips on how best to tackle your next interview and become the strongest candidate in the room.
But before we share all our interview top tips, we want you to know all about what free education resources we can offer as part of National Careers Week (and beyond🚀).
What free education resources does The Skills Network offer?
The Skills Network offers a multitude of free fully funded courses and programmes for learners to progress, including our incredibly popular Skills Bootcamps.
What are Skills Bootcamps?
Skills Bootcamps are free, flexible courses of up to 14 weeks for learners living in England, giving people the opportunity to build up sector-specific skills and fast-track to an interview or progress in their current role as part of the Government’s Lifetime Skills Guarantee and Plan for Jobs, helping everyone gain skills for life.
The £3bn Government initiative is designed to close the skills gap in the UK that has been intensified by the disruption that Coronavirus caused to job sectors and businesses.
Through our unique Skills Bootcamps delivery model, employers can efficiently access and interview candidates who have completed a Skills Bootcamp and are proven to have the right skillsets. There is no recruitment fee for this service as it is funded by the goverment (that's no salary percentage fee, nothing).
Skills Bootcamps are a great way for individuals to further enhance their skills, wanting a career change and those not currently in work, to gain knowledge and experience which will be increasingly vital over the next few years.
The Skills Network currently offers 9 Bootcamp programmes including:- Early Years Educator
- Project Management- Digital Transformation
- Artificial Intelligence (AI) for Business
- Digital Marketing
- Technical Service Desk
- Cyber Security
- Software Development
- Infrastructure Technician
- Data Analysis
What careers and progression support does The Skills Network offer as part of The Skills Bootcamps programme?
All our Skills Bootcamps learners, who are unemployed or looking to change careers are guaranteed to secure an offer of a job interview with a potential employer upon completion of their chosen programme.
The Skills Network is committed to ensuring that all our Skills Bootcamp learners are prepared and feeling confident when heading into their guaranteed interview with an employer.
We offer a dedicated careers and progression support team that is available to help throughout the duration of The Skills Bootcamps programme. Our friendly team of Progression Coordinators can help with 121 support, CV and LinkedIn advice, employability workshops that are tailored to the current labour market and even mock interviews!Interviews can be a little daunting for some (even mock ones) so why not use our handy list of top tips below:
Tip 1: First take a breath!
Try to stay calm and take a sip of water, give yourself a couple of minutes to relax, because you have got this!
Tip 2: Do your research!
If you have attended a workshop at The Skills Network, you will know research is key. Make sure you’ve memorised the core values of the business you have applied for; this shows you care about the role.
Tip 3: Dress to Impress!
It’s important to ensure your first impression is a lasting impression so dress smart and appropriately for the role you are applying for.
Tip 4: Plan your travel!
No one likes to be kept waiting, so show you're punctual and arrive 10 minutes early. Check your route and set off in good time to keep you covered in case of delays.
Top 5: Listen closely and take your time to answer!
Listen to the questions your interviewer asks, if you are unsure what a question means, clarify and make sure you take a moment before answering to keep your thoughts clear.
Tip 6: Be Precise!
Make sure you give detailed answers, preparing some answers to predictable questions beforehand is a good move.
Tip 7: Re-fresh your memory!
Remind yourself before your interview of what your skill set is, why you are perfect for this role and what your strengths are, it can be easy to forget this whilst under pressure.
Tip 8: Stay positive and be yourself!
Don’t be afraid to show your enthusiasm and personality, you’re made for this role!
Tip 9: Make sure you know your C.V!
Look over your C.V and remind yourself of your experience, what hobbies and interests did you put on? This can help with ‘tell me about yourself’ questions.
Tip 10: Reflect and learn!
Once the interview is over, reflect on how you think it went, what went right or wrong? This way you can improve next time!
Want to know more about National Careers Week?
For more information about The Skills Bootcamps programmes that we offer for individuals and employers, check out our Skills Bootcamps webpage
To find out more about our free fully funded courses for individuals and employers visit our free courses.