Feeling nervous about upcoming interviews?

Build your confidence through preparation and practice!

Many of you will agree that interviews are the most daunting part of an application process. Meeting employers, be it face-to-face or online, can be intimidating and stressful; there may be a lot of pressure for the interview to go well. While challenging, these feelings are perfectly normal and very common. The best way to calm your nerves is by preparing and practising ahead of the interview. Not sure how? The Careers Service can help!

Study the basics

Whether you’ve been asked to attend an assessment centre, deliver a presentation, participate in a case study activity or been invited to a traditional interview, we’ve got you covered. Why not start simple, with our short Career Snapshot: Interviews video? We also have two presentations available online covering types of interview and interview questions which you may encounter.

Attend a seminar/workshop

The Careers Service runs regular sessions both online and in-person designed to provide you with core knowledge (in our Career Essentials seminars) and an opportunity to practise certain techniques (in our Career Labs).  The events below will be taking place shortly; keep an eye on the JobsLive calendar for future sessions.

• Career Essentials: Interviews (online) Tuesday 4 November, 13.00 – 14.00
• Career Labs: Case Studies (online) Wednesday 5 November, 15.00 – 17.00
• Career Labs: Interviews (online) Monday 17 November, 14.30 – 16.00

Practice at home

As an Imperial student, you have access to Shortlist.Me, an online coaching hub for video interviews. You can use this platform to record yourself answering popular interview questions, watch your answers back and get useful tips on what employers are looking for. To find out more information and to access the service, visit our Shortlist.Me webpage.

Book a mock interview

These 40-minute online appointments allow you to practise your interview technique and receive feedback from one of our careers consultants. Please be aware that you are limited to one mock interview per academic year, so we would recommend using it ahead of a real interview rather than just for general practice.

To book, please email us at careers@imperial.ac.uk with your availability.

In closing, we would like to remind you that job interviews are also there for you to decide whether the opportunity is the right fit for you; don’t be afraid to ask (sensible) questions. And, more importantly, remember what matters most is that you try your best. A successful interview is one where you feel proud of your performance, regardless of the outcome.