The job interview is your chance to demonstrate your skills and experience to prospective employers. It helps them determine if you are a good match for the position.
- Job Jumpstart has useful interview tips for job seekers and a list of common interview questions.
- Seek also provides tips to help you succeed in interviews.
Tips for interviews
Practise interviewing with a close friend or family member. Anticipate possible questions and practise translating jargon into civilian language.
At the interview, make sure you listen carefully to the question. While it's important to not go into too much detail, make sure your answers address all parts of the question and your examples are relevant to the role you are being interviewed for.
The S.T.A.R. (Situation, Task, Actions, Results) method offers a good way of structuring answers to interview questions.
- Situation—set the context by describing the circumstance where you used the skills or qualities and gained the experience.
- Task—what was your role?
- Actions—what did you do and how did you do it?
- Results—what did you achieve? What was the end result and how does it relate to the job you are applying for?
Don't forget to mention skills you have gained that are relevant to the civilian workplace. Use the core skill identifier to help understand what these skills might be and how to communicate them to potential employers.
Seek feedback
If you are unsuccessful in gaining the position, ask the contact person for feedback. Use the interview feedback as a learning opportunity to improve for next time.