Failsafe MiMo general interview tips:

Whether you’ve done professional interviews before or not, below are some general things that you should always keep in mind when preparing. There’s nothing quite like a sales interview, and the level of interaction and dialogue between candidate and interviewer is higher than in most other industries. Candidates will be expected to ask intelligent questions and, at times, to drive the interview.

A good interview will demonstrate your personality, your enthusiasm, your research and your ambition; it will also show your resilience, your intelligence and your aptitude for problem-solving.

In media sales, interviews are generally fun – at entry level they are often conducted by a group, where you’ll be with other like-minded applicants all competing for the same role. At later stages, and with more experienced candidates, interviews will be one-to-one affairs which make you think fast and build a rapport with the interviewer quickly – a good interview at this stage could easily bag you the job.

You cannot under-prepare. Candidates could be asked to - and should be able to - demonstrate the following skills and information in an interview:

• Communication skills (speaking and listening)
• Logical and creative thinking
• Problem solving
• Industry, company and role information
• Enthusiasm
• Career focus
• Confidence
• Professionalism
• Focused answering (stay on the question and don’t digress - often experienced interviewers will use silences to see how a candidate fills the void)
• Clear and concise answering
• Energy
• Intelligence
• Personal presence
• Preparation (read up on the company, look at their website)
• Relevant work examples
• Record of successes/achievements
• Relevant work experience
• Maturity
• Drive and ambition
• A keen personality that matches with the company ethos
• Honesty
• Good questioning technique

Always remember to dress professionally and arrive on time. We’ve heard every excuse under the sun and there’s very few that merit turning up late for an interview.

Finally, good luck from all of us at MiMo.