What's Next
Back to the interview checklist

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🎤 Your Interview Checklist

You don't need to be perfect. Prepare well, be polite, be yourself, and show them that you're interested.

📅A few days before

  • Read the company's website and know what they do
  • Read the apprenticeship/job description again
  • Practise saying why this profession interests me
  • Know why I applied to this company specifically
  • Think of 2–3 things I learned during my taster apprenticeship, if I did one
  • Practise answering “Tell me about yourself” (watch videos for tips)
  • Practise talking about my strengths
  • Think of an example of something I'm proud of
  • Think about how I would answer a question about something I find difficult
  • Prepare 2–3 questions I want to ask them (examples below, watch videos for tips)
  • Check whether I need to bring anything
  • Print a copy of my CV/application documents
  • Choose what I'm going to wear
  • Check how I'm getting there
  • Check the journey and allow extra time
  • Save the contact person's name and phone number

👔On the day – before I leave home

  • Wear clean, tidy clothes that I feel comfortable in
  • Check that my shoes are clean
  • Make sure my hair looks tidy
  • Take my application/CV in a nice bag
  • Take a small notebook and pen
  • Take anything the company asked me to bring
  • Make sure my phone is charged
  • Leave early enough to arrive at least 10 minutes before the interview

💡 Running late? Don't just hope they won't notice. Call the company, apologise, explain briefly and tell them when you expect to arrive.

🏢When you arrive at the building

First impressions start with the receptionist.

  • Put my phone on silent and put it away for the full time I am there
  • Take out chewing gum before I go inside
  • Take off headphones/earbuds
  • Check that I have everything I need
  • Take a moment to calm down before entering
  • Go to reception or the place mentioned in my invitation
  • What to say:
    • Smile and say hello
    • Say my name clearly
    • Say who I'm there to meet and why
    • Thank the receptionist when they help me

    “Good morning, I'm Alex Müller. I have an interview with Ms Keller at 2 o'clock for the IT apprenticeship.”

🪑While you're waiting

Your interview has already started.

The receptionist and other employees may meet you before the interviewer does. You don't need to act unnaturally or like a professional — just be polite and friendly.

  • Sit somewhere appropriate and sit properly
  • Keep my phone in my pocket or bag
  • Don't put headphones back in
  • Try not to fidget with my things
  • Take slow breaths if I'm nervous
  • Remind myself of the 2–3 things I want them to know about me
  • Be friendly to people who speak to me
  • Pay attention when someone comes to collect me

🤝When I meet the interviewer

  • Stand up to greet them
  • Smile and say hello
  • Make comfortable eye contact
  • Introduce myself if they haven't said my name yet
  • Follow their lead about whether to shake hands
  • Wait to sit down until I'm shown where to sit
  • Put my bag somewhere sensible (not on the table)
  • Thank them for inviting me

💬During the interview

  • Listen to the whole question before answering
  • Speak clearly and don't rush
  • Look at the person I'm talking to
  • Always give examples (not just a “yes” or “no”)
  • Be honest if I don't know something
  • Show that I'm interested in the profession
  • Show that I've researched the company
  • Talk about what I learned from school, hobbies, projects or taster apprenticeships
  • Ask them politely if I don't understand a question
  • Don't pretend to have skills or experience I don't have
  • Remember that it's okay to take a few seconds to think
  • Ask my prepared questions at the end
  • Find out what happens next and when I might hear from them

Sample questions I can ask

  • “What would a normal day be like for an apprentice here?”
  • “What kinds of tasks would I do in my first year?”
  • “How are apprentices supported when they need help?”
  • “What do you enjoy about working here?”
  • “What makes someone a really good apprentice at this company?”
  • “Would I work with the same team or different departments?”
  • “What happens next in the application process?”

💡 Don't ask questions just for the sake of asking them. One question I am genuinely curious about is better than three memorised ones.

👋At the end

  • Make sure I've asked anything important
  • Thank them for their time
  • Say goodbye to everyone in the room
  • Take all my belongings with me
  • Say goodbye/thank you to reception on the way out
  • Keep my phone away until I've left the building

📝Just after the interview

Do this while it's still fresh:

  • Write down the questions they asked me in my notebook
  • Write down the names of the people I met and when they will contact me
  • Write down anything I found difficult
  • Write down anything important I learned about the apprenticeship
  • Think about what went well
  • Think of one thing I could do better next time
  • Ask myself: Do I still want to work here?

💡 That last question matters. The company isn't the only one making a decision — you have to decide whether the workplace feels right for you, too.

✉️Later that day

  • Send a short thank-you email. In that email:
    • Mention something specific I enjoyed learning about
    • Say that I'm still interested in the position (if I still am)
  • Update the application info in My Shortlist on What's Next
  • Add any next step to My To-Do on What's Next

⏰If I don't hear back

  • Check when they said they would contact me and wait
  • After that date, send a polite email or call to ask for an update
  • If I'm unsuccessful, thank them for letting me know and ask politely whether they can give me feedback
  • Use the feedback for my next application
  • Keep applying — one rejection doesn't mean I'm bad at interviews

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