To make a good impression and get the job, you need to prepare for the interview. You can feel confident about your upcoming interview if you put in some time and work. Here are some ideas:
Find out about the company
Find out about the business’s history, mission, values, products or services, and way of life. You can tell if the company is a good fit for you by learning about it.
Find out about the executives and leadership team of the company. For high-level jobs, you can talk to the CEO or department heads directly.
See what the company says about their work culture on their social media pages. It’s also possible that their feed will talk about new products, projects, or events that could come up in the interview.
Read up-to-date news stories about the business. This will let you know about any big projects, purchases, or changes going on inside the company.
Read the writing about the job.
Pay close attention to the job description. Note down the qualifications that are needed and those that are preferred. Think about how your experience and skills are related to these.
Look up any terms or technologies mentioned in the description that you don’t know. You should know everything about the role that is being talked about.
Write down the main duties and tasks of the job. This will help you tailor your answers to what the company wants for the job.
If the person you’ll be interviewing is named in the job description, look them up on LinkedIn. You can learn useful things about what they look for in job candidates.
Get used to answering common questions
Find out what kinds of questions are often asked about the job you are applying for. Learn how to answer questions about your background, skills, goals, and other things.
Review your resume to remember important dates and details. Be ready to give more details on everything you wrote.
Practise talking about your strengths, weaknesses, and why you quit your last job. This stuff comes up a lot.
Find out what questions the company usually asks during interviews. Make a direct link between your skills and experience and what they want.
You could do interview preparation in the form of role play with a friend to get better at saying your answers clearly out loud.
Plan what you’ll say.
Do some research to come up with good questions to ask the person at the end of the interview. This shows that you’re interested in the job and the company.
Ask about training, chances to grow, the company culture, a typical day in the job, and other things. When you could easily find the answer online, don’t ask.
Come up with at least five to ten good questions. It’s better to have too many questions ready than none at all. If you don’t ask any questions, it can look like you’re not interested.
Plan what to wear to the interview.
If you aren’t told otherwise, dress professionally in formal business clothes. It’s always better to dress too much than too little.
Make sure that the clothes you wear to an interview are clean, ironed, and fit well. Look for tears, wrinkles, and buttons that aren’t attached properly. To look good, you want to dress well.
Make sure your shoes look nice and fix any buttons, lint, or loose hems. The little things are important.
Cut or style your hair in a neat way. Take care of yourself from head to toe. You’ll feel better about yourself after this.
Get your interview materials ready.
If you need to, make extra copies of your resume, cover letter, list of references, portfolio, or work samples. Put them in a business folder or padfolio.
Check your internet connection, camera, and microphone if you are interviewing from afar. Make sure the background and lighting look professional.
Bring a notebook and pen with you to the interview so you can take notes. It shows that you’re paying attention by writing down important points.
Plan your route so that you get there 10 to 15 minutes early. Find parking options if you’re driving. Check your travel time ahead of time.
Plan ahead the night before the interview to make sure everything is ready for the big day. If you follow these tips, you’ll do great in the interview and make a great first impression. When you walk in, you should be ready to talk about how your skills and experience make you the best person for the job. You can do this if you practise and get ready.