Seeing as the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee is only days away, we thought we’d give you some tips on how to be royally fantastic at interviewing!

Know your stuff.
Research the industry or sector, the company or organisation and the job. Make use of the annual report & accounts, the web site and current press coverage.

Who are you?
Make sure you know what you’ve said in your application form and what is on your CV. A lot of interview questions are likely to draw on this content so think about what they could be and what you would say.

Be up to date.
On the day of the interview, check the newspapers and Internet for the daily news. This includes any last minute developments affecting the organisation you are visiting or the industry in which you are interested in working.

Dress smartly.
Even if the dress code is casual for the company concerned, it’s always best to be smart for the actual interview. Check, if you’re not sure.

Be punctual.
Don’t be early and definitely don’t be late. Aim to get to the building with half an hour to spare but don’t go in. Instead, find a café and have a drink and take a last look at your notes and spend at least 5 minutes just clearing your head. Arrive at the interview 5 minutes early.

The handshake.
Male or female, there is nothing worse than a limp handshake. When you arrive shake their hand firmly, look them in the eye and say something like, “Hi, I’m Joe Bloggs. Good to meet you.” These first few seconds are so important in creating a favourable impression.

Pick me.
You will get asked why you think you should get the job, in some way shape or form. Mentally prepare a short statement that provides the three or four key points in your favour. Think about how you would expand on each point if asked to do so. If you are aware of the short-listing criteria for interview, make sure you cover them all.

What are your weaknesses?
Weaknesses, can always be expressed as strengths. For example, if you’re really bad at delegating, that might just be because you want to make sure everything is done to your perfect standards! Or, if you are very quiet around people you don’t know, it might be because you like to understand your environment before you interact with it.

Difficult Questions
Interviewers quite often ask you difficult questions because they are testing how far you are prepared to stretch the truth and your real abilities. Be creative with your answers but never lie. All employers are looking for honest employees who they can trust.

If you follow these pointers, there is no reason you’re interview shouldn’t be as enjoyable as one of the Queen’s walks with her corgis.

Charlotte

Last week, TOMAX and WEXO proved a formidable team in bringing together a generation-spanning audience, dressed painfully current to impossibly chic. The event brought together a furtive mix of some of fashion’s most influential figures in retail, media and creative design in the moody setting of Testbed1 (think East London warehouse dressed to meet the parents).

Inventor of the original record bag, Jas Sehmbi walked the audience through his journey from India to 1970s England, explaining the decisions which made him a worldwide design pioneer. Jas’ story of rocketing sales figures and mass market success seemed far from what drives so many to enter an infamously prohibitive and difficult industry. He described how his simple, practical design became iconic across youth cultures on a global scale, thereby illustrating the impact of fashion on culture and the way we live.

The evening moved from romantic success tale to the unique critical overview of Alexandra Shulman – holder of the coveted throne of UK Vogue Editorship for twenty fast-paced years. Speaking frankly and openly, she comfortably navigated tricky questions about fashion’s inherent contradictions – from the inspirational and destructive nature of fantasy to the valuable aesthetic of elitism.

There was time to grab a drink at the suitably stylish ‘Doodle Bar’ before up-and-coming designer Tessa Edwards‘ video was projected onto Testbed1′s concrete walls. The audience was mesmerised, if somewhat confused. Speaking from a position within the fashion establishment – already having worked for the likes of Dior in her young career, Edwards spoke sincerely about fashion as the tool she uses to subvert consumerist notions of manufactured identity.

The juxtaposition of the three speakers contrived for a perfectly-rounded evening. As one man politely heckled, ‘to want people to wear your designs is for them to consume an identity you’ve created’. With all of its purist ideals, high-end designer fashion remains a product, and one available to a few. It is not produced for mass consumption – a personalised record bag, on the other hand, is a democratic thing.

Huge thanks to ToMax Talks and WEXO, who continue to provide young people with the opportunity to navigate and find their place within industries which they will surely influence in the future.

By Ruth Gibbs