1.
RESEARCH, RESEARCH, RESEARCH.
Research the company, industry
trends, projects they’re involved in, stock market rate, etc. Be sure to know who
their competitors are as well.
Look up the people you are
interviewing with and check out their previous career positions and background.
Try to find things you have in common with them. Anyone can go on LinkedIn and see
their picture and name. Go beyond that! See what groups they’re in or people
they’re connected to that you might know as well. Maybe even look them up on
Facebook!
2.
RESUME PREPARATION.
It’s essential to know your resume
forwards and backward. There might be positions on your resume that you haven’t
looked over or thought about in a while. The best way to refamiliarize yourself
with those early-career roles is to write out a description of each job you’ve
had and what experiences you gained or insights you learned from them. Statistics
show that writing things out helps with recollection.
3.
PREPARE COMMON INTERVIEW QUESTIONS.
Look up some common interview questions
and practice saying them out loud or write them out. By incorporating muscle
memory into your prep, it will be easier for you to remember what you want to
say during the interview, and it will feel more natural.
4.
BE READY FOR “BEHAVIOR-BASED” INTERVIEW
QUESTIONS.
In this case, the interviewer will
ask you to describe the experiences you’ve had that demonstrate the behaviors
the company is looking for. Lookup a list of behavioral interview questions and
prepare an answer for each with a story that explains the scenario. Remember to
review your resume beforehand with this kind of format in mind to help you remember
examples of behaviors you may not have anticipated.
5.
PREPARE 3-5 QUESTIONS YOU WILL ASK IN THE
INTERVIEW.
You need to show the interviewer that
you are interested, invested, and that you took the time to learn about their
company. Homework is appreciated, and believe it or not, a lot of people skip
out on this part of the interview prep. When you are researching the company,
look at current events they are involved in, and ask more detail about it. Find
something about the interviewer that you find interesting, as stated in #1
above.
6.
ARRIVE EARLY AND DRESS TO THE NINES.
This is the first impression. And
although this may seem redundant, there are plenty of stories of people not
getting the job because of their lack of punctuality and effort in appearance. Be
sure to arrive 15 minutes early. Map out the directions the day before and
always plan for traffic/accidents. There is no such thing as being overdressed
for an interview. Get that new suit, flaunt your shiny shoes, get your hair
done! It’ll be worth it.
7.
BE ENTHUSIASTIC AND CONVERSATIONAL.
Smile, be engaging, look the interviewer
in the eye and shake their hand firmly. Use positive body language and try to have
an open dialogue. Use your personality, but keep it professional.
8.
“TELL ME ABOUT YOURSELF” QUESTION.
You can answer this in several
ways. The obvious one is by telling the interviewer about where you grew up,
what your parents do, how many siblings you and the dogs you have, etc., but
you might be missing the point.
You want every answer to affect
the bottom line of the company directly. Tell the interviewer three things you think
are most vital for them to know about you. Give your three selling points and
then expand on each. This strategy is kind of similar to how you prepared for
the behavioral questions. Tell the interviewer about three situations that
showcase your performance, patience, and tenacity. Then, if you feel you
crushed the interview, use the last 5 minutes to bond over hobbies, interests,
etc.
9.
THANK YOU NOTE.
With technology in mind, it’s easy
for applicants to reach the interviewer quickly, so it might be timelier to type
up a thank you email. Be sure to include references to the conversations you
had in the interview and reiterate your interest in the job and state why they
should consider you. Lastly, thank them for their time and consideration.
10.
KEEP ON GOING!
Odds are you probably won’t nail
every single interview you attend. After each interview, take notes on what you
talked about, what you felt went well, and what you think you can improve on. Each
interview you attend will feel more comfortable, and before you know it, you’ve
nailed the job!