The moment when you get the call or e-mail that invites you for a job interview at the company you applied for, is a mixture of the joy of finally been one step closer to the job of your dreams, but at the same time, anxiety for judgment by the person you will be facing shortly.
Making a good impression and proving to be the right person for that job during the interview is essential. In rare cases, you will be the only candidate they will meet for the job. The company, in fact, selects a couple of applicants for the job interview.
Here is how to make an excellent impression and stand out during the job interview with a fashion company.
1.Show that you have done your research on the company
Before each interview you have to study the company carefully, so take a notebook, visit the company’s website and in particular the About, Our Story, Company Values ​​pages … and write down the fundamental values, dates and events of the company: when it was founded and by whom, who were the various designers over time, who is the CEO, if today the company is part of a group or has been acquired by a fund, what are the iconic pieces, what is the turnover , the number of employees, the countries where the brand operates, the number of stores and the flagships… They could ask you questions like what is your favorite collection and why? What would you improve about the company? What don’t you like and why? What is the thing you like best?
And by answering these questions you should mention the keywords found on the pages of the site that describe the company. For example, if you are interviewing at Dior, you should mention their mentorship program women @ dior. If it is a company that does not use chemicals harmful to the environment, or that uses only sustainable materials, here are the values ​​that you should mention during the interview to prove that you have done your research.
Before Glam Observer, I worked in e-commerce and during the interview, they asked me what I would have improved about the user experience on the website (both desktop and mobile) . I had spent the day before navigating through all the pages: new arrivals, shoes, bags.. and I had found a bug: from the mobile, the image that indicated the shoe category was reversed with that of the bag category. I reported this during the interview and the person in front of me was very impressed.
2. Be positive and confident
No one wants to work with a person who has continuous doubts or who seems intimidated. Even if the interview is stressful, try to contain your anxiety. Be confident of yourself and your skills without leading to presumption. Stay humble but confident and smile. Make sure you answer in a professional but conversational way and don’t let it be an interrogation. In this way, you break the air of tension and also begin to establish a first relationship/empathy with your interlocutor which is fundamental for a successful job interview.
3. Practice your presentation
Generally 99% of interviews start with the presentation of yourself. In fact, the company, whether represented by the recruiter or your future boss, will ask you to talk about you and your experiences. Like with your application, also your presentation should be studied and adapted to each company and position in order to give more weight during your speech, to the experiences and studies that are more related to the job. When you talk about your experiences, try not to be as schematic as your CV, but give some more details. If you can bring results with numbers, that’s even better. For example: I wrote the article that was the most read of the month, I grow the social account by 33%, I contributed to a styling service published in this magazine that got 500 reposts on social media … If you are at the beginning of your career and you’re interviewing for an internship, you will have to focus more on your skills and refer to school projects.
4. Beware of how you move
Body language says a lot about each of us. When you’re stressed do you happen to swing in your chair, play with your fingers or tap your feet? During the interview, avoid these nervous movements, and above all keep eye contact with your interlocutor. Always look into the eyes of the person in front of you when he asks questions and when you answer. Looking down or looking elsewhere is synonymous with insecurity and for some people of lying so, keep the eye contact.
5. Ask questions
It is important to ask questions during the interview to strengthen your interest in the position. During the job interview with a fashion company it is not just the company that has to understand if you are a good fit, but you also need to make sure the role is actually what you expect. If during the job interview a question comes to mind or you have a doubt about the position and the activities that concern you, do not be afraid to ask. What not to ask especially in a first interview is the salary, especially if it has not come up in any way. This will be a topic of discussion in the final steps and not in the first job interview. If in the end you don’t have questions because all those you had were answered during the conversation, tell anyway that you had these questions but that all the points have been clarified.
6.Bring an extra copy of your CV and portfolio (and a pen)
At some job interviews at some point or even from the beginning there may be more than one person, it can be the recruiter with your future manager or two recruiters or two people of the team. Generally, the company prints only one copy of your CV, so bring an extra copy to give to the person who joins. If you have also sent your portfolio during the application and you think it is essential to discuss it during the interview, then also bring a few more copies of it. Have always a pen with you to lend to the recruiter or in case you have to take a test or sign some documents.
For more advice on interviewing with a fashion company, download the ebook that is free for you a member of GO 🙂
