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How to prepare for your first job interview

Most interview nerves come from not knowing what will happen. Preparation shrinks them. Here is what to do before, during and after a first job interview in South Africa.

Before the interview

• Re-read the advert and your application. What are the most important requirements?
• Find out about the employer: what it does, who its customers are, how big it is. Look at its website and ask people. Visit the shop or branch if you can.
• Prepare three or four true stories that show you meet the main requirements.
• Practise aloud with a friend or family member, or in front of a mirror.
• Prepare two or three questions to ask them.
• Plan the day: your clothes, your documents and your route.

Questions you will probably be asked

• "Tell us about yourself." Take one minute: your qualification, your strongest relevant experience, and why you want this job. Not your life story.
• "Why do you want this job?" Link what you know about the employer to what you enjoy and offer.
• "What are your strengths?" Give two strengths that match the job, each with a short example.
• "What is a weakness of yours?" They are testing self-awareness and honesty.
• "Why should we hire you?" and questions about salary are also common.

Answer briefly, honestly and with evidence.

Use STAR for "Tell me about a time…"

For questions that ask for an example, use four steps:

1. Situation: where and when it happened.
2. Task: what had to be done.
3. Action: what you did. Say "I", not "we".
4. Result: what happened in the end.

Keep each story to one or two minutes. Stories from volunteering, college projects and informal work all count.

On the day

• Wear neat, clean clothes.
• Take your documents and copies of your CV.
• Arrive 10 to 15 minutes early.
• Switch your phone off.
• Be polite to everyone you meet, including the security guard and the receptionist.
• Listen to each question and think before you answer.
• Ask your questions, and thank the interviewers.

Send a short thank-you message the same day.

Phone, video and group interviews

For a phone or video interview, find a quiet place with a good signal and prepare in the same way. A group interview rewards people who listen and help the group, not those who talk the most.

Questions they should not ask

Questions about pregnancy, marital status, religion, sexual orientation or HIV status should not be asked. If one is asked, stay calm and turn your answer back to the job. Unfair discrimination can be taken to the CCMA.

This guide is based on Chapter 5 of Your First Job, which includes model answers and a practice sheet.