How to Ace Your Next Beauty Industry Interview

Whether you are already working in the Beauty Industry, or applying for your first role in this exciting field, here are some tips to help ensure you ace your next interview with a prospective employer:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1. Be prepared: do your homework, thoroughly, before your first interview. Make sure you’ve read the position description carefully. Spend some quality time on the company’s website, learning about the company, their history, their products, communication, etc.  Come prepared with a few key questions of your own. (See our blog post “Doing Your Homework for a Beauty Industry Interview" for more suggestions.)

 

2. Be ready to discuss YOU: go back through your resume and review it in detail, including dates and time periods. Have examples of projects you led or worked on, and be prepared to articulate your specific contribution to the outcome.  Make a mental list of your key strengths and weaknesses (or ‘opportunity areas’). Think about challenging situations you’ve been in, and what you’ve done to overcome them. Review the accomplishments you are most proud of and be prepared to discuss how you achieved them.

 

3. Be engaged: every potential employer is looking for someone who’s not only able to do the job, but will bring genuine enthusiasm and positive energy to the role and to their organisation.  Before your interview, have a think about, and be prepared to answer, honestly: what is it about this industry, this company, and this role that I am particularly drawn to? What makes me a great candidate, and why should you hire me? The ‘honest’ part is important:  a good interviewer can spot a false reply a mile away.

 

4. Be confident: but not overly so. Never assume that you are the only candidate, or that you have the job in hand, even if you are well down the track and on your second or third interview with the company. Aside from lack of preparation, it’s the surest way to put a potential employer off.  A little bit of nerves is normal, but the best way to overcome that is to be prepared, Keep in mind that an interview is actually a two-way interaction: the employer wants to know if you are the right candidate for them, but you should also be thinking about whether this role is the right fit for you.

 

5. Be well-groomed: look the part, from head to toe, so the impression you make is polished and professional. Makeup: don’t go overboard, but do display a genuine interest in the beauty category by wearing at least a product or two.

 

6. Be gracious: Be on time, in fact be 10 minutes early. Turn your phone off, entirely, before you walk in. Bring a hard copy or two of your resume. Bring a small notebook and pen to bring questions and take notes. Smile. Make eye contact. Always be truthful. And remember to say ‘thank you’ – both at the end of the interview, and afterwards. Even if you don’t get the job this time, there might be another opportunity down the road with the same company or perhaps the same interviewer at a different company – so you always want to make sure the impression you leave them with, is a positive one.