How to prepare for an internal interview in five easy steps

Internal interviews can be a really strange and confusing experience because you are already known to the company, have likely worked there for a while, and the people conducting the interview are colleagues and not strangers.

I have had a couple of experiences of attending an internal interview and I thought I would share my top tips:

Internal interview top tips

1. Research:

Treat your internal interview with the same level of seriousness as you would for any other job interview, so make sure you go in prepared.

• Understand the role you’re going for
• Don’t be afraid to ask questions if anything needs clarifying
• Like many job descriptions, you don’t need to tick every box, anything you’re lacking experience in prove you have the potential to meet any new expectations and responsibilities.

2. Dress smart:

They may not be first impressions you have to worry about this time, but impressions still count so begin your internal interview well by looking the part.

3. Know your worth:

You may be attending an internal interview because you’re at risk of redundancy in your current role; you’re going for a promotion; or you have seen an internal role that you want to go for. Either way, know your worth by what you can continue to offer the company (in the new role) and why they would be silly to lose such a wonderful employee.

• Any achievements to date and things you’re proud of
• What more you can bring to the company
• How you overcome challenge

4. Be confident:

I’m not sure if interviews are something that can be looked forward to, and certainly many people will suffer from interview anxiety, but still try to go into your internal interview confident.

It’s natural to be nervous but many of the things an external interview can present as worrying, they won’t be there for your internal interview. For a start, you know how to get to the office, and where to park!

5. It’s not all about them!

Remember, an interview (internal or external) is a two-way process, the job has got to work for you as much as you for the job. Depending on where you’re at in your career, your job might not have the same importance as it once did when you were first starting out.

You might now have a family and achieving a good work/life balance might now be your top priority. So while you’re doing your best to answer any questions put to you, find out what the company is willing and able to do for you in return such as:

• Flexible working
• Training
• Benefits including healthcare

Goodluck!

If you have an internal interview coming up, I wish you all the best and I’ll be keeping my fingers crossed for you.

What other advice would you share?

Until next time x