How To Prepare For Your Interview | Copeland Automotive Blog

Have you got a job interview coming up? This guide provides essential guidance on how to prepare for your interview. By preparing well you’ll give yourself the best chance of success and securing your dream job. Don’t leave it to chance – prepare well and reap the rewards!

I’ve been helping automotive industry professionals find their dream jobs for over 24 years. As part of my service to my candidates, I provide advise on how best to prepare for each interview. A well prepared candidate will be more confident and perform better – greatly increasing their chances of success. Read on to find out how I advise all my candidates to prepare for their interviews.

Ahead of your interview

Research the organisation and job role

Thoroughly research the organisation, their products/services and their competitors. As a bare minimum I recommend you:

Read the company website thoroughly
Look at all the company’s social media – in particular LinkedIn.
If you know anyone who currently or has previously worked for the business – contact them for tips and advise. Try and establish what the business looks for in their employees. Some businesses love people who challenge them – others don’t!
Research your interviewers – look them up on LinkedIn and generally Google them. Do you have anything or anyone in common?
Check the business out on employee review sites such as Glassdoor. If you find negative comments – I recommend you don’t take them as ‘Gospel’ but ensure you ask questions at the interview to cover off any concerns you may have.
Google the business – read the trade press, financial press etc for the latest company news.
If you are being interviewed for a role linked to a specific automotive brand – visit a dealership to immerse yourself in the brand.

Prepare to answer competency based questions

These are questions which ask for specific, real-life examples of how you have demonstrated the skills and behaviours (competencies) needed for a job.

‘Tell me about a time when you faced a challenge at work and how you dealt with it’
‘Give an example of when you effectively in a team’

These questions will be directly linked to the position that you are being interviewed for and aim to test how your skills and experiences match the requirements of the role. These questions will be varied and could potentially include any desired skills, however common skills include: leadership, delegation, negotiation, new business development, team management, influencing skills, analysis of data etc. Read more about competency-based interviews.…

On the day

Dress appropriately

First impressions are very important – dress and act appropriately. Find out what the dress-code is for the interview / business and dress appropriately. If you’re not sure its best to err on the side of more formal. A useful guide can be to look at your interviewers’ LinkedIn profiles to see how they dress for work and be guided by this. Alternatively contact the business, or your recruitment agency, to check what the dress code is. If your interview is via video there will be different and additional considerations. Read more about video interviews.

Consider your body language

Be aware of your body language and how you might come across. You should aim to convey confidence and interest in the job and company. Examples of positive body language in an interview setting are:

Maintaining eye contact
Having good posture – sitting up straight with shoulders back
Having a warm smile
Open hand gestures
A firm (but not too hard) handshake

Answer the questions asked

Listen attentively and answer the questions posed to you – ask for clarification if you are unclear. Watch for social cues that suggest you should elaborate or shorten responses and don’t use one-word answers. If asked for an example situation or event – give one strong answer. Avoid going off on tangents and answering questions that haven’t been asked. If your interviews want more detail or further examples – they will ask for them.

Tell them about yourself and your experiences

Talk in the first person (I not we). Being a part of a team is great, but interviewers want to know what YOU can do and what YOU have achieved.

Ask questions

Near the end of the interview, there is usually an opportunity to ask questions. You might have questions related to the interview itself. It is also impressive if you have questions based on research you did ahead of time. It shows interest in the organisation and job.

Next steps

I wish you the very best of luck with any interviews you have coming up. If you’re looking to progress your automotive industry career Copeland can help. We specialise in mid to senior level B2B sales, marketing and operations roles. To get started register your CV with us.

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Essential Guide to Interview Preparation