Interviews can be intimidating so it’s important to know ways to prepare for a job interview. Although they’re nerve-wracking they’re nothing to get too worked up over. However, it’s always better to be over prepared than under prepared. In that case, here are a few ways to prepare for a job interview.
Research is one of the most important ways to prepare for a job interview! Regardless of how well spoken and put together you are, if you base your interview on the hope that your charm will win them over, you will be in for a surprise. When you do research on the companies that you are interviewing you are better prepped to answer questions like “why do you want to work for us?” or “what do you know about our company?”.
The day of an interview is not a day to be lazy with your hygiene. Make sure you’ve showered and have groomed yourself the day of. In addition, brush your teeth before you leave your house to get rid of any food stuck in your teeth as well as freshen your breath. And finally, make sure you’re wearing deodorant or some type of fragrance since most people sweat during interviews.
If you’ve never been interviewed before or if you haven’t done an interview in a long time, some of the questions asked might throw you off. Take time to research interview questions online as there are many websites that give good examples. Even though you cannot be totally prepared for all the questions you’ll be asked, you can still rehearse answers for common questions like “when was a time you’ve given great customer service?” or “how will you benefit our company?”.
Most employers don’t expect their interviewees to have questions of their own. However, it’s good to have a list of questions because it will benefit you. Questions you could ask are “how often do employees get pay raises?” or “what type of benefits do you offer employees?”.
Regardless if you’ve never worked a day in your life or you were with your previous company for 20-something years, you should always bring an updated resume to the interview... even if the interviewer already has a copy of your resume on file. Also, make sure there are no spelling or grammar errors in your resume. But most importantly, format your resume to look professional and not to look like a simple list of your previous work experience. If you’re not sure what a professional resume should look like, research “resume formats” online to get some tips!
Most of the time, during an interview your interviewer will ask you for a list of references. Before entering an interview, let your references know they should expect a phone call within the next week or so by your interviewer asking for a reference. Furthermore, make sure your references are recent and industry professionals – your co-worker from 3 years ago will not impress your interviewer as much.
Today employers do extra research on their candidates if they’re interested in them. This usually means they’ll type your name in a search engine and see what pops up. With that being said, search your own name and see what you find and do some extensive digging to make sure you don’t miss anything – if there’s anything “unflattering” about you on the Internet try your best to get it removed. In addition, make your social network pages like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram private and create a public LinkedIn profile.
Remember when entering an interview that the employer is already interested in you as an employee for them if they’ve asked you to sit down with them. Although it’s natural to be nervous, preparing yourself will help you feel less stressed. What are things you do to prepare for an interview?