Interview skills at job interviews – how many people can honestly say they possess them?
It is always a nerve-wracking time when you secure an interview for a new job, and the pressure increases when it’s a role in an establishment you desperately want.
In this article, I’m going to explain how, quite often, it is not a candidate’s interview skills that result in a rejection, but rather their mindset which can let them down.
Thankfully, there are ways to overcome a negative mindset brought on by interview nerves, which I’ll share to help you prepare for your next hospitality interview.
A Lot at Stake
If you have secured an interview for a position in a restaurant or establishment you have been coveting for a while, the pressure tends to build. You get into the mindset of believing that you only have one chance of securing this job, and that failure isn’t an option.
Unfortunately, it is this very thought system which puts you at the highest risk of misrepresenting yourself in the interview.
When you put this much pressure on yourself and the outcome of the interview, you set yourself up for a fall. Your demeanour becomes unnatural, you question everything you are saying, and you lose the ability to demonstrate your best skills – the ones you know make you a great candidate for the job – sound familiar?
Preparation
One of the best ways you can feel confident in an interview is being safe in the knowledge that you have prepared adequately.
Being unprepared leads to stress, which is the enemy of a successful interview.
To feel fully prepared, take the time to:
- Research the establishment. Look at their website and social media to get a better idea of what kind of people work there and what kind of place it is to work.
- Consider the possible questions and your answers. We have written a post on the most crucial hospitality interview questions which you can find here.
- Plan your journey to the venue and how long it will take to get there, allowing for traffic.
- Get a comprehensive overview of the role, the company, who will be interviewing you – working with a recruiter is the best way to ensure you get this.
Preparing as much as you can is the smartest way to feel confident with your upcoming interview skills, but sometimes your mindset can still let you down.
So how can you change your mindset to one which will help you go into your interview in a much more positive, confident way? Here are three proven ways.
Visualise for Success
I love this tip; it’s simple, and it works. Over the years it has benefited plenty of great hospitality candidates I have worked with to help them secure a new job.
Interviews tend to throw up a lot of uncertain feelings: What are the company expecting from me? Will they like me? Am I even equipped to do this job well?
Remember – if you’ve made it to the interview stage, there is something that this company likes about you, and they believe that you have a good chance of being the successful candidate.
To visualise for success – spend a few minutes just before you go into the interview location, either in your car or in a waiting area, imagining your most successful moments to date.
They don’t necessarily have to be work-related (although it can help if they are), but they should be memories of when you felt powerful and in control. Some good examples include – the feeling after doing yourself proud in a sporting event, the moment you found out about a promotion or the time you secured your last job.
It’s ‘Not’ an Interview
Sometimes, it helps to banish the word ‘interview’ from your mind in the hours leading up to the interview. So, if it’s not an interview, then what is it? Try to think of it instead as a business meeting.
Doing this allows your brain to relax a little; it’s not a scary job interview, it’s just an informal chat between you and a person you hope to start working with. If you’re a chef going for a more senior role, imagine that you are talking with your current HR person about your goals for next year, a catering assistant, it will help to think about the hiring manager as if they are on the level as your current team leader.
This method is helpful for candidates who are very nervous, or who have struggled to relax and speak as they would typically, during previous interviews.
Adequate interview skills preparation used alongside these great mindset relaxation methods should guarantee that the best version of you shows up on an all-important day, ready to wow your new team.
Finally
If you are looking for a new hospitality or catering job and need help locating your next exciting role, KSB can help.
We help find hospitality candidates the best roles with our excellent set of industry connections. If you are looking for your next challenge, send us your CV or call us on 0121 702 1428 to discuss the roles we currently have available.
Thanks,
Dawn
About KSB Recruitment
We are expert recruiters in the catering and hospitality industry with over 28 years in business, placing the best candidates in their perfect roles with an obsessive attention to detail.
KSB is proud to be a Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC) member, accredited investors in people, and both Data Protection and Home Office Compliance registered.
We specialise in roles in Birmingham, Staffordshire, the West Midlands, Warwickshire, Oxfordshire, Worcestershire and Northamptonshire.
