I've Got the Job! Interview Advice

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Cover of I've Got the Job!, a Maxwell Stephens Guide

An interview for a role you really want is exciting, and the nerves that come with it are normal. Most of what decides the outcome happens before you walk in: how you prepare, how you present yourself and how clearly you can explain what you have actually done.

I've Got the Job! takes you through the whole interview in order, from researching the organisation and planning your route to the waiting room, the first few minutes, the questions themselves and the follow-up. It is written for candidates at any level, with extra research pointers for senior roles.

The advice is practical and specific. Prepare four or five real examples using a simple context, action, result structure, have an honest development area ready, and use the checklist to make sure nothing is left to chance.

What's inside

The guide follows the interview in order, from preparation to follow-up.

Preparing for the Interview: How to dress and present yourself, the mindset to bring, and what to research about the organisation, with extra areas such as finances and structure for senior roles.
Getting to the Interview: Planning your route with time for delays, arriving early enough to settle, and how the same principles apply when you interview by video.
While You're Waiting: Why the interview often starts in reception: keeping belongings organised, choosing where to sit, wearing your visitor pass and being courteous to everyone you meet.
Those First Moments: The greeting, eye contact and when to take your seat: the small details that set the tone for the conversation.
The Questions and Your Answers: How to listen, keep answers focused, allow for note-taking and use real examples structured as context, action and result rather than general claims.
Talking About Yourself: How to answer questions about weaknesses with honesty and self-awareness, and how to link activities outside work back to the role.
Closing the Interview: Which questions to prepare for the end of the interview, and how to thank the panel and leave a strong final impression.
After the Interview: What to do while you wait for the outcome, when to send a short thank-you email and why to update your recruitment consultant, plus a pre-interview checklist.
Final Thoughts: A reminder that you were invited because the employer already sees you as a potential fit, and how to carry that confidence into the room.

What the data says

Five figures from the guide on how employers interview and how competitive getting to interview has become, each linked to its source.

90%: 90% of UK organisations use some form of selection interview; 52% use competency-based interviews. Source: CIPD, Resourcing and talent planning report 2024
0.42: Structured interviews have the highest mean validity of common selection methods (.42) in the Sackett et al. meta-analytic update. Source: Sackett et al., Industrial and Organizational Psychology, 2023
77%: 77% of UK candidates say it's harder to get an interview than a year ago. Source: Totaljobs Hiring Trends Update, 2026
16%: UK applications submitted are up 16% and interviews needed to land a single role are up 18%, Totaljobs found in 2026. Source: Totaljobs Hiring Trends Update, 2026
92%: 92% of the 497 FM vacancies Maxwell Stephens advertised from 2023 to 2026 showed a salary figure, giving candidates pay clarity up front. Source: Maxwell Stephens analysis of 497 advertised vacancies, May 2023 – September 2026

Sources checked in September 2026. Maxwell Stephens figures are drawn from our own published vacancies and placement records.

See it in practice

Head of Facilities for The Royal College of Psychiatrists

The Royal College of Psychiatrists asked Maxwell Stephens to recruit a Head of Facilities with operational FM expertise and experience of events and membership organisations. We screened candidates for qualifications, experience and cultural fit, shortlisted against the client's own person specification and carried out in-depth behavioural assessments. Shortlisted candidates received thorough interview preparation, including insight into the client's expectations and the key responsibilities of the role, and guidance on presenting their experience and achievements. The appointed Head of Facilities went on to strengthen the College's premises management, sustainability, health and safety and contract management.

It shows how preparing candidates to present real experience against what the employer actually needs, the approach this guide sets out, helps the right person succeed at interview.

Read the full case study or browse all case studies.

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Who this guide is for

Candidates preparing for an interview at any stage of their career: Facilities Management professionals, people facing a competency-based panel, candidates interviewing by video, and senior applicants who need to research an organisation's finances, structure and culture before they go in.

Next steps

Browse our current Facilities Management vacancies, upload your CV so a consultant can contact you about suitable roles, or join our mailing list for new vacancies and market updates.

I've Got the Job!