How to Prepare for an Interview
Interviewing can be anxiety inducing. Making sure you’ve prepared yourself thoroughly can help though. Here’s some tips on how to get prepared for an interview to help set yourself up to show your best face.
Research the company offering the interview
This is extremely important. Here’s your chance to get ahead of the game and get familiarized with the specifics of the company in question: Their products, the services they offer, what makes them unique compared to other companies. This will allow you to be better prepared to show how your experience relates to the role, and develop your own questions to ask the employer.
Additionally, this is an opportunity to get a peek into the company’s culture to determine if this role is a fit for you.
Be prepared with relevant specifics
Make sure you review the job description thoroughly, and understand what purpose the role fulfills. Try to make sure you have some answers developed for questions that ask you to explain how you handled difficult situations, as some interviews will ask behavioral questions.
Additionally, make sure you have some accomplishments prepared. Whether this is your successful sales numbers, or how you improved the efficiency of company processes, make sure to be able to brag about yourself.
Be conscious of body language and proper attire
Yes, your body talks. You want to make sure that it’s talking about your professionalism and confidence. This means being attentive, making eye contact, having proper posture, and doing your best to speak clearly and with confidence.
Have an understanding of what is the appropriate attire for an interview with this company. Sometimes what is normal for one company or industry can leave you over/underdressed for another. See if there are staff photos on their website, or ask your recruiter or whoever contacted you for the interview what to expect.
And don’t forget about hygiene! Make sure you’re clean; fingernails, hair, etcetera. Try not to overdo it on the perfume/cologne, you may end up overwhelming your interviewer.
BE ON TIME (or if you can’t, make sure you reach out)
This is so incredibly important. Set yourself up ahead of time to make sure you have everything prepared that you will need for your interview so you aren’t left scrambling when the time comes.
If you have an in-office interview, make sure you have enough gas, have determined how long it will take you to get there (and which route you’ll take), and get there with time to spare.
If your interview is set to be conducted over video call, make sure that your computer, camera, and microphone are working properly, and that the space that you will be in will be free of distractions and clean.
And if something has come up and you aren’t able to make the interview, reach out to the company or your recruiter to let them know.
Things happen. They may be willing to reschedule the interview. But be sure to communicate, or you may lose your opportunity with the company for good.
Practice to cement your confidence and see what needs more attention
If you’re having trouble being confident in your speech, try practicing with a friend. Have them ask you questions that may come up in the interview. This will allow you to get comfortable with how you will answer, and identify any potential gaps or weaknesses to your answers.
Additionally, if you’re able to practice with someone who has experience in the industry you’re interviewing for, they may be able to offer you valuable feedback and insights that can help you.
Now that you’ve prepared yourself, go forth and conquer your interview with confidence.
Don’t forget to thank your interviewer for taking the time to speak with you!