Getting the job
#Interview Skills
#Introduction
When employers invite you to interview, they鈥檙e giving you a chance to show who you are beyond your resume - your attitude, skills, and potential.
Good preparation helps you feel confident, communicate clearly, and leave a strong impression.
And a good interview can lead to the outcome you want!听
#Know Yourself & Understand the Role
Before anything else, reflect on what you bring to the table: your skills, strengths, experiences even if those come from school, volunteer work, sports, caring roles, or study projects.
If you don鈥檛 have formal experience yet, you can still draw on these types of examples from your personal life to show qualities like teamwork, responsibility, and resilience.
Then look carefully at the job description: what are the key duties, skills and qualities required?
Make a list of what you match and prepare to talk about those in the interview.
Also be clear in your own mind on why you want the job, what interests you about it, why you think you鈥檇 enjoy it, and what you could bring to the role.听
Research the Company and the Role
Learn about the organisation: what they do, their values, culture, products/services, recent news or projects. Indeed recommends using sources like the company website, social media, news articles all good ways to get a solid sense of who you鈥檙e applying to
If possible, see if you can find who鈥檚 interviewing you (LinkedIn, company website) knowing a bit about them can help you build rapport.
Also, align what you say with what鈥檚 in the job ad: use similar language, focus on the skills and values they emphasise, so you come across as a good match.
Understanding the company helps you show genuine interest. Look for:
What the organisation does
Their values, mission and culture
Products/services
Recent news or changes
Key projects
Their customers or clients
Along with general research, make sure you:
Understand the organisation鈥檚 structure (who reports to who, what departments exist)
Check industry trends (growth areas, challenges, new technology)
Look up your interviewers on LinkedIn or the company website
This helps you connect more effectively during the interview and allows you to put your answers into the "context" of their business.听
#Prepare and Practice
Practise out loud, record yourself, or ask someone to simulate an interview.
Practice your performance and your opening. Get feedback to refine your delivery and confidence.
A strong, simple opening can set a positive tone.听
STAR Method
When you don't have a formal resume, the听STAR method听helps you turn everyday life experiences into professional "proof" of your skills. It allows you to package stories from school, sports, or volunteering in a way that shows employers exactly how you solve problems.
Here is a breakdown of the structure, followed by an example of how to apply it to non-work experiences.
STAR Method Breakdown
S 鈥� Situation:听Set the scene. Briefly describe the specific event or challenge.
T 鈥� Task:听What was your specific responsibility? What was the goal you needed to achieve?
A 鈥� Action:听This is the most important part. Explain exactly听what you did听补苍诲听how you did it. Focus on "I" rather than "we."
R 鈥� Result:听What was the outcome? Use numbers if possible (e.g., "we raised $500") or describe the positive feedback you received.
Example 1: School Project (Skill: Leadership & Conflict Resolution)
Situation:听In my Year 12 Business Studies class, I was part of a group of four tasked with creating a marketing plan. Two members were disagreeing on the strategy, and work had stalled.
Task:听As the unofficial group leader, I needed to get the team back on track so we could meet our deadline.
Action:听I organised a quick meeting and asked both members to present their ideas. I identified common ground in both plans and proposed a hybrid strategy that utilised everyone鈥檚 strengths. I then created a simple timeline of tasks to ensure accountability.
Result:听We finished the project three days early and received an 'A' grade. The teacher specifically commended our team鈥檚 cohesion.
Example 2: Sports or Community (Skill: Reliability & Time Management)
Situation:听I have played for a local soccer team for three years while maintaining full-time studies.
Task:听Last season, I was asked to help coach the Under-10s team while also playing my own matches.
Action:听I created a weekly schedule to balance my training, coaching, and homework. I made sure to arrive 15 minutes early to every session to set up equipment and greet the parents.
Result:听I didn't miss a single session all season. The head coach gave me a reference letter praising my punctuality and ability to handle multiple responsibilities.
How to identify your "Transferable Skills"
If you aren't sure which stories to tell, look at听headspace's Work and Study听resources or use this cheat sheet to match your life to a skill:
Caring for siblings/relatives:听厂丑辞飞蝉听Reliability听补苍诲听Patience.
Gaming/Streaming:听厂丑辞飞蝉听Technical Aptitude听补苍诲听Community Management.
School Captain/SRC:听厂丑辞飞蝉听Public Speaking听补苍诲听Leadership.
Duke of Edinburgh/Scouts:听厂丑辞飞蝉听Commitment听补苍诲听Resilience.
#Practical Tip for Interviews
笔谤别辫补谤别听three STAR stories听before an interview. You can adapt them to answer different questions. For example, the "School Project" story above could answer:
"Tell me about a time you worked in a team."
"How do you handle conflict?"
"Give an example of your leadership skills."
It also helps to rehearse beforehand: practise aloud, in front of a mirror, record yourself, or do a mock interview with a friend or family member. Check voice, body language, and make sure you don鈥檛 fidget or mumble.
Crafting Powerful STAR Stories
Craft brief, powerful stories that connect your experiences to the job and the organisation.听 These should show your skills, values and suitability听 they don鈥檛 need to be from paid jobs.
Examples can come from:
School projects
Team sports
Family responsibilities
Training assessments
Customer interactions
Volunteer work
听To create a powerful interview example from personal experience, you must focus on the听Action鈥攖he specific steps you took that demonstrate your character and skills.
The following example uses the听STAR method听(discussed above)听to turn a common life experience (helping with a community or school event) into a demonstration of听initiative, organisation, and problem-solving.
Example: Organising a Local Fundraiser or Event
(Skill: Project Management & Initiative)
Situation:听Last year, my local youth center鈥檚 annual community BBQ was at risk of being cancelled because the main coordinator became ill two weeks before the event.
Task:听I volunteered to step in and lead the small volunteer group to ensure the event went ahead, as the funds raised were vital for our summer programs.
Action:听I first audited our remaining tasks and realised we were short on food donations. I drafted a formal request letter and visited five local businesses in person to ask for sponsorships. To stay organised, I used a shared digital spreadsheet to assign specific roles to the other volunteers, such as "Set-up," "Cooking," and "Clean-up," and held a 10-minute briefing each morning via group chat.
Result:听We secured all necessary food donations for free, reducing our costs by 40%. The event had the highest attendance in three years, and we raised $1,200 for the center. The manager later asked me to document my "volunteer checklist" to help future coordinators.
Why this example is "Powerful"
It shows "Soft Skills" in action:听You aren't just saying you are "organised"; you are proving it by mentioning the听digital spreadsheet听补苍诲听briefings.
It uses "I" not "We":听While it was a team effort, the example highlights听your听specific choices (the letter, the in-person visits).
It has a Tangible Result:听Using a number (like $1,200 or 40%) makes the achievement feel real to an employer.
How to build your own
To draft your own powerful example, use the听headspace Resume Assistant听or follow these three steps:
Identify the "Pain Point":听What was the problem? (e.g., "We were losing the game," "The project was messy," "The customer was angry").
Highlight the "Tools":听What did you use to fix it? (e.g., "I made a list," "I stayed calm," "I researched a new way").
The "After" Picture:听How was it better once you finished?听
#Document and Logistics
What to bring, how to plan travel or test tech for video interviews
Bring copies of your r茅sum茅, any certificates/licenses, a notepad/pen听 in case the interviewer wants them
Dress appropriately - choose something that matches the job: business-casual or more formal if the role demands. If in doubt听 dress a bit more formal than expected. First impressions count.
Know how you鈥檒l get there听 or test your computer/microphone if it鈥檚 a phone/video interview. Plan to arrive (or log in) early so you have time to settle.
If it鈥檚 a virtual interview:
Prepare a clean, well-lit space
Test your audio and internet
Dress appropriately (just like a face-to-face interview)
鈥� Position your camera at eye-level
Body Language and Attitude
Key do鈥檚: posture, eye contact, verbal tone, being friendly and professional
How you present yourself matters as much as what you say. A friendly smile, good posture, open body language and eye contact help create a positive impression.
听Be professional but genuine: show enthusiasm, sit up straight, avoid nervous habits, and engage actively (nodding, listening).
Have a great conversation and be curious, flexible and read the room for cues.
听
Adjust your tone, pace and depth of answers based on how your interviewer responds.
听
Responding to Questions
#Asking Questions
What to ask, why it matters
At the end of the interview you鈥檒l likely be asked if you have questions. Use this opportunity. Prepare a few thoughtful questions in advance:听
鈥淲hat does success look like in the first 3 months?鈥�
鈥淐an you describe the team I鈥檇 be working with?鈥�
鈥淎re there opportunities for training or growth?鈥�
Asking questions about role fit, workplace culture or growth prospects听 shows you鈥檙e genuinely interested, not just after any job.
#After the Interview
Thank-you follow-up, self-reflection, next steps
After the interview send a short thank-you email or message. It leaves a positive final impression and reinforces your interest.
Also reflect on how the interview went what you did well, what you found hard, and what you could improve for next time. This helps you grow skills and confidence for your next opportunity. Self-reflection is a way to build confidence and resilience.
#Special Tips for Beginners / No-Experience
How to use school/volunteer/sport/other life-experience; focusing on attitude & soft-skills
Use life experience, don鈥檛 worry if you haven鈥檛 had a formal job; skills from school, volunteering, sports, community, family or training count. These experiences are valuable and relevant.
Focus on what you can bring skills like communication, reliability, willingness to learn, teamwork, responsibility and a positive attitude can matter more than past jobs.
Be honest and genuine don鈥檛 try to over-sell yourself unrealistically. It鈥檚 better to talk about real examples, commitment, eagerness to learn and grow. Authenticity is key, aligning your personality and values with the role is ultimately very important.
#Things to Avoid
Interview Mistakes to Avoid
Don鈥檛 be afraid to show vulnerability - Share stories of challenges听 as long as you can explain what you learned and how you improved.
Don鈥檛 focus on where your r茅sum茅 is lacking - Redirect to your strengths, transferable skills and willingness to learn. Prepare several ways to explain your experience confidently.听
Don鈥檛 panic if the interview feels like it鈥檚 going poorly - Slow down, focus on the current question, and ask:
鈥淲ould you like me to expand more on that?鈥�
鈥淎m I addressing the question the way you need?鈥�
This video provides some great (and entertaining advice)!