PHOTOGRAPHED BY MARKO MILANOVIC/STOCKSY.COM.
TEXT BY KATHERINE CHATFIELD. *THEUNDERCOVERRECRUITER.COM190 marieclaire.com.au
a scruffy candidate and tell them to
update their wardrobe, than someone
well-dressed and teach them a better
attitude,” says Roberts.BE PREPARED FOR THE JOB^
INTERVIEW SMALL TALK
As we sit down for our “interview”,
Janey Fothergill, a casting director
who works with Rehearse It!, turns
to me and says, “I love traffic.” I am
momentarily flummoxed and inclined
to disagree. Fothergill senses this and
says, “See, already there is a conflict,
so immediately I’m going to make
the interview more difficult.” Lesson:
it’s crucial to be positive and give the
impression that you’re on the same
page as your interviewer – even
with the casual, pre-interview chat.NAIL THE CV SPIEL
“Research reveals that people read a
CV for just six seconds,” Fothergill tells
me, meaning your interviewer probably
doesn’t know much more about you
than your first name. Before they can
cherry-pick your least starry role (or
ignore your best one altogether), offer
to give them a quick summary of your
CV. By taking the reins you gain an
element of control and can edit your
work-history highlights.BODY LANGUAGE TRICKS
“Our opposable thumbs and fingers
make us human,” explains Roberts,
who is also a trained zoologist. “We are
hardwired to pick up a huge amount of
information from other people’s hands,
so make sure yours deliver the right
message.” Roberts says it’s fine to
gesticulate, but don’t swing your arms
and whack the desk. If you don’t know
what to do with your hands, perch
them on the table, folded together in
a relaxed pose. It looks confident.HOW TO REHEARSE
“Actors spend years learning their
trade so that when they’re on stage
they have a motor memory of what
feeling confident looks like. And they
rehearse it,” says Roberts. Yep, it’s time
to go “method”. Rehearse everything,
from your stance and manner to
your lines – preferably with someone
else for feedback.IF YOU’VE TOTALLY BLOWN IT?
“End well – behave as though you’re
surprised at how quickly the time
went,” advises Roberts. “Look as if
you could think of no better way to
have spent the hour.” That may require
some top acting skills indeed.33 %
OF BOSSES SAY THEY
KNOW 90 SECONDS INTO
A JOB INTERVIEW IF THEY
WILL HIRE THAT PERSON*FACTRecent research reveals that
prospective employers make snap
character judgements in a terrifyingly
short time – half-a-second short
to be exact. Enter Rehearse It! –
a new course which aims to help
interviewees nail that all-important
half-second of a job interview.
Built on a unique combination
of behavioural science and performing
arts, Rehearse It! treats every job
interview like it’s a performance.
I went along to give it a go ...IMMEDIATELY BEFORE^
YOUR JOB INTERVIEW ...
“Adopt a confident but relaxed pose,”
advises Robin Roberts, a former partner
at global executive search firm Egon
Zehnder, who founded Rehearse
It! after seeing many outstanding
candidates fluff their interviews. “Then,
as your interviewer approaches, subtly
mirror their behaviour – walk beside
them, make friendly small talk and
adopt a similar posture.”WHAT TO WEAR
News alert: performance is far more
important than clothes. Yes, clothes
are crucial as they give you confidence,
but they mean more to you than to
the observer. Select something you’re
comfortable in and focus on the real
prep. “Most people would rather hireNAILING THE
JOB INTERVIEW
A new immersive workshop created by
casting agents in the UK aims to help
job seekers leave a winning impression.
Rosie Benson tests it out.