Interview Tips & Advice

Interview Tips / Advice

Telephone Interview:

A telephone interview, in our opinion, is possibly the hardest interview you will have to do. The reason I say this is that it is faceless, neither party can see the emotion and interviewers feel that there can be a lesser sense of obligation.

On the upside, a telephone interview can be arranged quickly and can speed up the recruiting process. Here is our guide to how you can excel at a telephone interview and avoid some of the pitfalls:

Prepare as you would for any other interview. Research the company, research the interviewer and know the job description.
Do you know why you want this job and why you would be good for the role?
By knowing the above and preparing well, you will be able to tell the interviewer what they are looking to hear. Remember to be able to back up your statements with direct examples.
Have a list of questions prepared.

Tips on how to make sure you come across well:

Make sure you are in a quiet place with a good connection and are unlikely to be interrupted.
Never talk over the interviewer
Listen, take a breath and pause – verbal diarrhoea happens when we get nervous, so try to stay calm and collected.
Be concise in your answers; again, waffling can come across negatively. If you don’t understand the question, ask the interviewer to repeat it.
Never discuss money/package unless prompted to do so, and have a diplomatic response.
Think about how you sound – try to remain upbeat and confident.

Face to Face Interview:

The rules are the same, so prepare as you would for a telephone interview and consider the following:

Your personal presentation, if you look good, you will feel good, fact! Make sure your suit is dry cleaned, your shoes polished, and try to have a good hair day (I know sometimes easier said than done!!). Steer clear of overpowering scents, and while it may be tempting to freshen up with a piece of gum, never go into an interview chewing!

Know where you are going and do a dummy run. Depending on the time of day, remember to take into consideration traffic.

Get there in good time, but don’t go into the interview too early – during an office debate, we at Red Diamond think 10 Minutes is acceptable (more than 10 minutes may stress out the interviewer who is busy, and less than 10 minutes could be cutting it fine).

If for any reason you are late call the company and let them know, don’t forget to apologise when you arrive.

Tips/things to consider when meeting people in person:

Be confident, but remember there is a fine line between confidence and arrogance.
Body language – don’t slouch, make sure you have good eye contact and use your manners (basic, but when we are nervous, we sometimes forget ourselves).
It is ok to take notes with you, but make sure they are professionally presented, not just scrappy bits of paper.
Finally, remember the interviewer may be as nervous as you; they are only human.

Just in case questions:

So you have just had an interview that has gone swimmingly well, but at the end of the interview, you are asked if you have any questions. To your horror, they have already been addressed, and you are now conscious that you have nothing left to say. Here are a few questions that you may not have thought of and could just get you out of that tricky situation:

Mr / Mrs interviewer, how long have you been with the company, and what is your experience?
In an ideal world, where would you see this person in the next 5 years?
What will the next step in this process be?

Teams Video Interview:

The majority of roles we work on now include some form of video call. This helps speed up the interview process and, just like telephone interviews, can be arranged quickly to suit people’s schedules. A lot of the above ideas apply, but here is some further advice:

Technical Preparation

Test your equipment: Check your camera, microphone, and internet connection ahead of time. Do a trial run on the platform (Zoom, Teams, etc.) you’ll be using.
Lighting & background: Sit facing natural light if possible. Keep your background tidy and neutral—plain wall, bookshelves, or a virtual background if appropriate.
Sound: Use headphones or a headset to reduce echo and background noise.

Professional Presentation

Dress professionally: Wear the same level of attire you would for an in-person interview, at least from the waist up.
Body language: Sit up straight, keep your hands visible when gesturing, and maintain a calm, confident posture.
Eye contact: Look into the camera when speaking (not just at the screen), so the interviewer feels you’re engaging directly with them.

Communication

Be clear and concise: Speak slightly slower than normal to account for possible audio delays.
Pause briefly after questions to avoid talking over the interviewer.
Prepare examples: Use the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) to structure answers.

Preparation & Professionalism

Know the company: Research their business, culture, and recent news. Have questions ready.
Practice common questions: Strengths, weaknesses, career goals, and relevant experience.
Have notes handy: Keep a notepad with key points nearby—but avoid reading from a script.
Minimise distractions: Silence notifications, ask housemates/family not to interrupt, and close unrelated apps.

During the Call

Log in 5–10 minutes early.
Greet with a smile and show enthusiasm.
If there’s a technical glitch, stay calm—acknowledge it and suggest continuing.

Final tip:

Treat it like a face-to-face interview—professional, prepared, and engaged—but take advantage of the medium (notes, controlled environment) to help yourself shine.

Good luck, and if you need clarification on any of the above / would like some help preparing for an interview, then feel free to call the team at Red Diamond. If we can, we will always be happy to help.

Interview Tips & Advice

Interview Tips / Advice

Telephone Interview:

A telephone interview, in our opinion, is possibly the hardest interview you will have to do. The reason I say this is that it is faceless, neither party can see the emotion and interviewers feel that there can be a lesser sense of obligation.

On the upside, a telephone interview can be arranged quickly and can speed up the recruiting process. Here is our guide to how you can excel at a telephone interview and avoid some of the pitfalls:

Prepare as you would for any other interview. Research the company, research the interviewer and know the job description.

Do you know why you want this job and why you would be good for the role?

By knowing the above and preparing well, you will be able to tell the interviewer what they are looking to hear. Remember to be able to back up your statements with direct examples.

Have a list of questions prepared.

Tips on how to make sure you come across well:

Make sure you are in a quiet place with a good connection and are unlikely to be interrupted.

Never talk over the interviewer

Listen, take a breath and pause – verbal diarrhoea happens when we get nervous, so try to stay calm and collected.

Be concise in your answers; again, waffling can come across negatively. If you don’t understand the question, ask the interviewer to repeat it.

Never discuss money/package unless prompted to do so, and have a diplomatic response.

Think about how you sound – try to remain upbeat and confident.

Face to Face Interview:

The rules are the same, so prepare as you would for a telephone interview and consider the following:

Know where you are going and do a dummy run. Depending on the time of day, remember to take into consideration traffic.

Get there in good time, but don’t go into the interview too early – during an office debate, we at Red Diamond think 10 Minutes is acceptable (more than 10 minutes may stress out the interviewer who is busy, and less than 10 minutes could be cutting it fine).

If for any reason you are late call the company and let them know, don’t forget to apologise when you arrive.

Tips/things to consider when meeting people in person:

Be confident, but remember there is a fine line between confidence and arrogance.

Body language – don’t slouch, make sure you have good eye contact and use your manners (basic, but when we are nervous, we sometimes forget ourselves).

It is ok to take notes with you, but make sure they are professionally presented, not just scrappy bits of paper.

Finally, remember the interviewer may be as nervous as you; they are only human.

Just in case questions:

Mr / Mrs interviewer, how long have you been with the company, and what is your experience?

In an ideal world, where would you see this person in the next 5 years?

What will the next step in this process be?

Teams Video Interview:

The majority of roles we work on now include some form of video call. This helps speed up the interview process and, just like telephone interviews, can be arranged quickly to suit people’s schedules. A lot of the above ideas apply, but here is some further advice:

Technical Preparation

Test your equipment: Check your camera, microphone, and internet connection ahead of time. Do a trial run on the platform (Zoom, Teams, etc.) you’ll be using.

Lighting & background: Sit facing natural light if possible. Keep your background tidy and neutral—plain wall, bookshelves, or a virtual background if appropriate.

Sound: Use headphones or a headset to reduce echo and background noise.

Professional Presentation

Dress professionally: Wear the same level of attire you would for an in-person interview, at least from the waist up.

Body language: Sit up straight, keep your hands visible when gesturing, and maintain a calm, confident posture.

Eye contact: Look into the camera when speaking (not just at the screen), so the interviewer feels you’re engaging directly with them.

Communication

Be clear and concise: Speak slightly slower than normal to account for possible audio delays.

Pause briefly after questions to avoid talking over the interviewer.

Prepare examples: Use the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) to structure answers.

Preparation & Professionalism

Know the company: Research their business, culture, and recent news. Have questions ready.

Practice common questions: Strengths, weaknesses, career goals, and relevant experience.

Have notes handy: Keep a notepad with key points nearby—but avoid reading from a script.

Minimise distractions: Silence notifications, ask housemates/family not to interrupt, and close unrelated apps.

During the Call

Log in 5–10 minutes early.

Greet with a smile and show enthusiasm.

If there’s a technical glitch, stay calm—acknowledge it and suggest continuing.

Final tip:

Treat it like a face-to-face interview—professional, prepared, and engaged—but take advantage of the medium (notes, controlled environment) to help yourself shine.

Good luck, and if you need clarification on any of the above / would like some help preparing for an interview, then feel free to call the team at Red Diamond. If we can, we will always be happy to help.