With the jobs market as tough as ever, if you are lucky enough to secure an interview for a new role, you will want to be at your best – so here are my seven interview advice tips for 2026 to help with your search for the perfect new job.
1 – Understand the interview process you’re in
As with anything, knowing the rules of the game is important. So, my first piece of advice is to ask about the process when you’re invited to an interview. What is the format? Do you need to prepare a presentation, or will there be other practical tasks for you to do? Is there just one stage? Who will be on the interview panel? All of this can be useful insight to help you arrive better prepared. Don’t be afraid to ask for more information.
2 – Look back and forward
It’s good practice to prepare for a job interview by looking back at your previous successes to get those all-important examples ready for any competency based questions. But you also need to be able to look forward and explain how you will be able to do a great job and add value in the new role. Research the company, analyse the role’s potential and show the interview panel how you would use your current skills to perform brilliantly in the new job in future. This is essential for any hypothetical questions you may be asked.
3 – Be prepared to sell yourself during the interview
It sounds like simple advice, but a job interview is your chance to sell yourself, so you need to be prepared to do that and answer direct questions like: Why are you the best person for this job? Being able to sell your strengths – as distinct from your skills – is an important thing to do. So consider, who are you at your best? What elements of the role excite you? Why are you a brilliant fit for this job? This is more than ‘can you do the job?’ it’s more why you as a person.
4 – Manage job interview nerves
It’s a top tip that you’ll see everywhere, but getting to grips with nerves can help you perform better during a job interview. I’m not suggesting you ignore them – nerves are an important physiological indicator which can help you perform. So use that adrenaline to help you stay sharp. What matters is knowing yourself and the right techniques to help you keep your nerves in check, so they don’t derail you on the day.
5 – Be bold with your questions for the recruiters
Consider a job interview as your chance to find out information to help you decide whether you would want the job. It’s not only about the company choosing you, you also get to choose them! Often people don’t think carefully about what they want to know about the role, the organisation and its culture. You might want to know the line manager’s leadership style, more about the team structure or how the company behaves in line with its values. So a good tip ahead of your interview is to not only figure out what matters to you and to be bold in asking those questions.
6 – What happens next in the recruitment process?
It helps everyone to share the same expectations of what will happen next, so if the panel doesn’t volunteer that information, make a point of asking. It’s important to understand at least the timeline for making a decision and any expected further stages in the process (see tip 1!). If you know there are more stages, you can be strategic about what you plan to share at each one.
7 – Following up after the job interview
My final tip is something most people don’t routinely do – following up after the job interview. There’s no harm in sending an email to say you enjoyed your conversation and are looking forward to news or connecting with your interviewers on LinkedIn after the meeting. Afterwards is also a critical opportunity to ask for feedback on your interview performance. Not every recruiter or interviewer will give it to you, but if you don’t ask…
If you are searching for a new job, I hope these seven interview advice tips for 2026 have given you some things to consider – for more personalised support, get in touch to find out more about my job search and preparation service.
