Blog
Top Tips for your Second Interview
2nd November 2017
Congratulations, you have been asked back for a second interview! Wondering what you should expect? Here are some top tips to prepare you for second interview success:
You may be meeting with different people, so be prepared to introduce yourself again. If there are new faces you should expect to answer some of the same questions again.
If you know who you are meeting with, it would be a great idea to prepare some questions directly for them. Here are some things to have in mind when researching the people you are meeting:
For example, an HR Manager is likely to have very different questions to a Customer Service Manager, or a member of your potential peer group. If you understand the person's position in the business it will help you think about their focus and therefore what they will want to know about you.
Read Also: The 3 Biggest Mistakes Jobseekers Make At Interview.
Type of Interview
You should have already been told how formal this interview will be and what you need to bring with you. You should know whether it will be more or less formal than the first interview, so it’s important to prepare yourself with that in mind.Prepare
To make sure you are prepared it may be time to ask yourself a few questions:- What should I bring? (This could be your CV, Passport, Laptop, or Portfolio)
- Was I asked to prepare anything? (This could be a presentation, test, or assessment)
- Was there anything I didn’t understand at the first interview or was there anything I didn’t feel I answered particularly well? (Prepare questions to ask and think of how to answer the question again in a more impressive way)
- You should expect this interview to be a longer and more thorough interview, but as you've already gotten a feel for the company through the 1st interview it should be less intimidating!
Do more Research
There will be more emphasis on what you know about the role and the company at this stage. If there were things you weren’t so clear on the first time around, now would be the time to reflect on the first interview and investigate. It would be great to use information you learnt in the first interview to kickstart your new research. Before you attend the interview make sure you know who you are meeting with and check that the location is the same. If you are meeting off site or in a different building, make sure you are clear on where to go.Ask Questions
Use the opportunity to ask questions and remember, you are also finding out if the role is suited to you as well! This would be a great time to ask some questions that you forgot to ask before. Remember: If you are meeting with the same people, it wouldn’t be a good idea to ask the same questions. Think about what else you can ask.New Faces
You may be meeting with different people, so be prepared to introduce yourself again. If there are new faces you should expect to answer some of the same questions again.
If you know who you are meeting with, it would be a great idea to prepare some questions directly for them. Here are some things to have in mind when researching the people you are meeting:
- Do you know who they are?
- What is their position in the company?
- Can you find them on LinkedIn?
- Given their position, what questions are they likely to ask you?
For example, an HR Manager is likely to have very different questions to a Customer Service Manager, or a member of your potential peer group. If you understand the person's position in the business it will help you think about their focus and therefore what they will want to know about you.
Dress to Impress
It is a good idea to keep a smart appearance. It is now more important than ever to make a good impression. You could be meeting with senior level employees, management or directors. If you get the impression that it would be better to dress down for this interview make sure you are still sharp in appearance. This could depend on the company culture or the location that you are meeting in.Read Also: The 3 Biggest Mistakes Jobseekers Make At Interview.
