Eve Featherstone

Eve is Talent Acquisition Partner at CrowdStrike (leader in Cybersecurity with advanced cloud-native platform for protecting endpoints, cloud workloads, identities and data). She has 10 year’s experience recruiting within the technology field and is a passionate advocate for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion initiatives.

1. What is your biggest piece of advice to someone who's about to go in for a job interview?

Come prepared with the ‘3 whys’:

1) Why this company you’re interviewing for? Take a look at their website, LinkedIn, Glassdoor to understand their mission, values and culture.

2) Why this role? Review the requirements of the job description and articulate how your skills/experience align

3) Why me? Share notable achievements and attributes  

2. What's the toughest question you hear in an interview?

‘What is your biggest weaknesses?’ This can be tricky to answer as you don’t want to highlight a reason for the interviewer not to give you the job.

My advice: choose a weakness that is a genuine area for improvement (we can’t all be perfect). Explain how you are working on it and turning it into a personal development opportunity.

3. What's the most common mistake you see interviewees make?

Coming unprepared, no research on the company and the role you are interviewing for.

Hannah Mitchell

Hannah is the one of Co-Founders of Fusion Meetup, a technology focused social event based in Birmingham City centre. The meet-up has now been running for 9 years, and over the years Fusion has showcased talks from world-wide industry leaders in tech as well as local talent within the region. Hannah is also Head of Talent Acquisition and Community at Jadu, a company who are on a mission to create the world's most accessible software!

What is your biggest piece of advice to someone who's about to go in for a job interview?

I would say one of my top pieces of advice for interviews would be to slow down, and don't be afraid to take some time to think about your answer to questions. We can feel pressure to deliver an answer quickly, but creating a few seconds of thinking time can make all the difference!

2. What's the toughest question you hear in an interview?

Anything around conflict resolution. Our answers can really show our character and these questions are included to assess team/culture fit. So again, take your time and try to make the situation real in your mind before answering.

3. What's the most common mistake you see interviewees make?

Not having a go at the tough questions! Don't worry about the answer being right, I think as long as you're honest about your knowledge level, when you have a go at something, it shows willingness to push yourself out of your comfort zone.

You could say something like, 'I'm not familiar with/haven't used X much, however (give an answer)'. I think it's nice to follow this up with your willingness to learn new things, and if possible, an overview of what you are currently learning in your own time.

Kirsty Thomas-Brown

Employment expert Kirsty Thomas-Brown has experience in agency recruitment, and now works for a not-for-profit where she puts her experience to work, enabling sustainable employment for all.  Valuing fairness, equality and inclusion, Kirsty ensures employers and candidates alike are confident in their processes.  

1. What is your biggest piece of advice to someone who's about to go in for a job interview?

Remember that an interview is a two-way street.  You are selling yourself and your interviewer is selling the company.  Many people get nervous but fail to take into consideration if they actually like the person and the business they're speaking to!  

2. What's the toughest question you hear in an interview?

I think the question "what is your biggest weakness" should be banned from interviews, as well as non sensical hypotheticals such as "would you rather bathe in ketchup or mayonnaise" (this was really asked!).

3. What's the most common mistake you see interviewees make?

I think interview nerves can negatively affect candidates - it's totally normal, we all get nervous!  I always tell people to remember that an interview is a two-way conversation, you are assessing whether this is the right job for you as much as the interviewer is assessing if you are the right fit.  Think of it this way, and it can really change the way you feel going in.

Michelle O’Rourke

Now an Associate Director at Woodrow Mercer, Michelle’s career has been focused on working with companies and matching them with IT professionals of the highest calibre. She loves experiencing great customer service and in turn, tries to offer the same experience to everyone she deals with.

1. What is your biggest piece of advice to someone who's about to go in for a job interview?

Preparation is key: everything you can possibly find on that vacancy, find it out. Take time to match your experience with the tasks required of the job, and have previous examples at the forefront of your mind.

2. What's the toughest question you hear in an interview?

“What is your biggest failure and what did you learn from it?”

3. What's the most common mistake you see interviewees make?

Not answering the question correctly!