How to Prepare for an Interview in 6 Steps

A woman in a pin striped business suit walks through a commercial park with a briefcase and files.

How to Prepare for an Interview

You can prepare for an interview by researching the company and the person interviewing you. Study the job description and consider what the employer is looking for, and how your skills and experience could help. Make sure to jot down potential talking points and questions, dress in business attire and pack a few copies of your resume, references and pens.

“As soon as you get the call or email saying you have been chosen for an interview, the first thing to do is do some more research into the position you applied for,” said Steven Brathwaite, a career advisor at SNHU. “Companies will know if your interest and energy are off in the interview or if you’re not fully invested in the position. Start to get into the mindset of what it will take day in and day out to be successful in that role.”

Conduct a Self-Assessment

Another important step in preparing for an interview is conducting a self-assessment. Reflect on your career. Think about what you’ve accomplished so far and what you want to accomplish in the future. Also, consider your preferences for workplace culture. What kinds of personalities complement your own? You’ll want to reflect on these topics as they will likely come up in an interview.

There are many options for online self-assessments. Although some are designed to guide people when deciding on a career, many assessments are also helpful for interview preparation. The results may help you find the right words to describe yourself.

Conducting a self-assessment is also a good time to search for yourself online. According to a CareerBuilder survey, 70% of employers use social media to research job candidates and 66% use search engines. It may be too late to do a complete overhaul of your online reputation if you’ve already scheduled an interview, but there’s still time to make some last-minute edits to your LinkedIn profile. Familiarize yourself with what employers see when they search for you so you’re prepared to answer any questions about their findings.

8). Ask Intelligent or Provocative Questions at the end of the Interview

It is important to conduct meticulous research about the recruiter, the business, and credentials before attending the job interview. Every interview session ends with the interviewer asking if the interviewee has any questions. Preparing answers that depict your superlative analysis or intelligence can help you create a positive impact on the interviewer during this phase. Avoid controversial or confrontational interrogations and ensure that your questions are not naïve or baseless when responding.

When the interview is complete, retrieve the documents and accessories from the desk and thank the interviewers. It is recommended to offer a good handshake to at least one member of the interview panel to show your amiable attitude. After getting back to your desk, send a follow-up email with thanks, for the interviewing opportunity you were offered. This helps to create a memorable account of the candidate, boosting the chances of being hired. It is best to follow up with an email after the interview to assess if you’re hired or not.

10). Practice Mock Interview

It is important to prepare thoroughly when you have a job interview coming. Collect common interview questions, tips, and advice from your contacts working in the same company or industry can help immensely during the time. Ultimately, being prepared is vital to boost your self-confidence as a candidate. To convince the recruiter to hire you must first convince yourself. It is best to seek assistance from a friend or family to help you with practice interviews. Candidates can also use a mirror to prepare and analyze the dialogue delivery, pronunciation, and vocabulary of themselves. Moreover, all your achievements are futile if you can’t prove your competencies in a personal interview!

Regardless of how thoroughly prepared you are, the interview will have many unexpected questions and moments. To overcome nervousness, anxiety, and self-doubts during the interview, candidates must prepare their pitch until confidence sets in. Practice, practice and more practice is the biggest secret to a great interview. It is useful to prepare answers to common job interview questions that apply to your industry to hold your poise and give your best at a job interview. Good Luck!

Resource:

https://www.snhu.edu/about-us/newsroom/career/how-to-prepare-for-an-interview
https://www.columbiasouthern.edu/blog/blog-articles/2020/january/how-to-prepare-for-an-interview/
https://www.qwikresume.com/resources/how-to-prepare-for-an-interview/