The IMAGE Interview Do’s & Don’ts (According To The Pro’s)

The whole prospect of going for an interview can be daunting at best, and knees-knockingly terrifying at worst. What do you wear? How do you prepare? And what about that dreaded topic of salary? There’s so many pitfalls lurking on the horizon of every interview, but in a bid to help you sail over them with an aura of calm and grace, we’ve answered the biggest questions that might be buzzing through your mind.

From the perspectives of current interns, recent hires, right up to the most senior management here at IMAGE, we take a deep dive into what we construe to be “best practice” in the face of that all-important interview. You might want to take notes for this one…Here’s the first in our three part video series Interviewing 101.

What To Wear

According to IMAGE CEO Clodagh Edwards, “I think it’s really important to wear something that’s comfortable, but smart and stylish that fits well and obviously reflects the job that you’re going to interview for.”

With that in mind, if you’re going for a creative role then let your personality and creativity shine! If you’re going for a more senior position or serious role, be sure to look the part. Investing in something professional-looking is key. You can’t go far wrong with an ensemble from Zara or Cos.

What To Bring

In terms of what to bring, people might not think to bring a hard copy of their CV these days, but as far as Editor-In-Chief Lizzie Gore-Grimes is concerned, “I think you should always bring a printed copy of your CV. In fact, bring a few of them for the people present.”

Don’t assume they have printed out copies from the email you sent or spent hours poring over your CV prior to sitting you down. But most importantly, bring ideas. “It’s really important to bring ideas, to do your research, know the company, their key products/ services and have thought about how you you think they could develop their business.”

Talking About Salary

This is a tricky one. Obviously no one wants to come across as being only interested in the money aspect of the job, but you do need to know where you stand in that regard. Niamh O’Donoghue, Head of Digital Marketing at image.ie says that it’s something she would usually leave to the last minute of the interview (“pretty much as I’m heading out the door!”) but in retrospect, she felt that going forward she’ll probably need to be more forthright in laying her cards on the table.

IMAGE Editor-At-Large, Laura George says that in the majority of the interviews she’s lead, the interviewees have been really hesitant to talk about pay. As far as she’s concerned, “it’s a conversation that you obviously need to have if either side is serious”, so be sure to know what your expectations are and be ready to state that with all the confidence that’ll convince your prospective employers that you deserve it!

Main photo by Nastuh Abootalebi on Unsplash