I spoke at the recent Reinvent Your Career Expo in Sydney and also spent some time listening to the other presentations and chatting to the employers in attendance. Some of the presentations included: Teaching as a Career, Interview Strategies, Building a LinkedIn brand, Redefining a Career after 30 and Skills Needed in the Future.
Employers were on hand to discuss entry level and career development opportunities. Aged care, teaching, paramedical services, and hospitality are areas with plenty of jobs now and into the future. Did you know that teachers can earn a starting salary of around $64,000 and might only pay $8 rent per week if they teach in a rural area?
I spoke on how to manage your nerves during a job interview. Some of the key tips I shared included:
- Find out what sort of interview you will be attending – is it one person, two, a panel, a group interview?
- Find out the structure of the interview – will it be a free roaming discussion, a structured interview, will there be any tests or assessments?I explained that there are five key areas to focus on when preparing for an interview:
- Preparation before the interview – reviewing key job application documentation and company details
- Arrival at the organisation and meeting the interviewers
- Opening questions
- Questions about skills and experience
- Closing questions
Another tip from the expo is to take notes with you to the interview that you can refer to – a sheet of paper with prompt words, examples, and questions is a great idea to help you stay on track and show the interviewers you are prepared and have thought about the interview.
The consensus on when to arrive at the interview was “early, but not too early”, you certainly don’t want to run into any other candidates and you don’t want to be nervously waiting for a long period of time.
The other great tip was get yourself a coach to practice with, a coach can give you feedback on your responses and can build confidence so that when you attend the interview you are as prepared and practiced as you can be.
The next Reinvent Your Career Expo will be in October 2017.
Contact me to discuss how a practice interview session can help you.