No matter what your experience level, you would probably agree that the interview process can be a high-stress ordeal that challenges your confidence. By keeping a few simple tips in mind you can minimize anxieties and maximize your chances of projecting a great first impression - that of a composed and competent professional perfectly suited for the job.
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Interview Preparation Guide
Do Your Homework
At some point during an interview, you are bound to be asked “Why are you interested in this particular job? And what can you offer our company that others can not?” To respond adequately you must first gather information on the company and job description then use it to demonstrate how you and your abilities are the ideal fit for the position and organization.
Corporate websites and online resources offer a wealth of valuable information — details about a company’s history, its position in the marketplace, its products, competitors, and mission-driven goals. This inside look at an organization can help you determine and demonstrate your true fit for a particular position and the added value you can offer the company as a whole. A candidate who is proactively versed about a potential employer is bound to impress the interviewer and can interactively exchange ideas that could contribute to a more successful interview.
Show the Right Stuff
In today’s fast-track, competitive business world, it is not enough to demonstrate the right skills for a particular position. Displaying great skills in an attractively formatted resume is the product that lands you the initial interview and moves you closer to obtaining your desired position.
Now that the first interview is scheduled you must plan how to effectively describe how your work ethic, past experiences, successes, and missteps have shaped you into the candidate your interviewer will want to hire.
One way to do this is to go beyond simply listing your technical skills. Give examples of how those skills allowed you to identify problems and provide excellent solutions to move the business forward. Come to the interview prepared with a few anecdotes from your work history where you contributed to creative problem-solving and teamwork which resulted successes for the business. Also, be prepared to share how past missteps have contributed to lessons learned to make you a smarter, more effective member of an organization.
Get a Leg Up on the Competition
Measure up. Project your confidence and professionalism from the moment you arrive to your interview appointment. Stand up straight, initiate and maintain eye contact and greet with a firm, friendly handshake, and smile. Your attire definitely influences your first impression so clarify the company’s dress code prior to making clothing choices for your meeting. As always, arrive to your appointment 10 to 15 minutes prior to the scheduled time.
Listen up. An experienced interviewer can instantly detect if you begin mentally formulating an answer to their question before they have finished asking it. The behavior may indicate to them you are hasty or may not value thoroughness in your work. Instead, maintain eye contact and listen carefully to the entire question. Answer intelligently and completely, and if time allows, look for opportunities to engage the interviewer in dialogue regarding their ideas and viewpoints. However, be mindful of the time allotted for the meeting and keep conversation concise if necessary.
Follow up. Make a regular practice of sending a respectful and compelling thank you letter. This will not only show good manners, the letter can serve to reinforce the important points of the interview, your understanding of the organizational needs and the reasons you would be a great match for the position. Send the letter within three days of the interview then follow up with a phone call to ensure it was received. A gesture such as a thank you letter will likely set you apart from other candidates, giving you and edge on your competition.
