So, you got invited to a job interview. Congratulations! You beat the odds by more than 95% (research suggests that only about 2% - 3% of applicants actually get to the interview stage).
You’re probably not the only one going for an interview, though, and you want to stand out from all the other candidates. You better prepare. Interview preparation is key to making a great impression.
There’s a fair amount to do if you want to make a good impression and land that sweet job offer.
Cover all your bases by making sure to do all of the following interview preparation:
Prepare your answers
Prepare your stories
Prepare your questions
Rehearse
Print a few copies of your resume
Research the company
Plan your outfit
Map (or prep) your location
Get a good night’s sleep
Take a deep breath
Let’s take a close look at each of these job interview preparation steps, shall we?
Prepare your answers
There are a lot of pretty common interview questions you’re likely to be asked, like:
"Tell me about yourself."
“Why do you want this job?”
“Why should I hire you?”
“Why did you leave your last job/why do you want to leave your current job?"
Have your answers to these and other obvious questions prepared. Write them out and know what you want to say. Don’t wing it or you might get nervous and stumble.
Prepare your stories
You’re also going to be asked the “tell me about a time when…” questions. These are the behavioural questions designed to learn how you react to different professional situations and test your communication skills. Examples of these questions include:
“Tell me about a time you failed.”
“Tell me about a time you solved a difficult problem at work.”
“Tell me about a time you had to deal with a conflict at work.”
“Tell me about a time you disagreed with someone at work. How did you handle it?”
These questions require stories, and you don’t want to be caught unprepared for them and have to think hard, have your mind go blank or say “Uh…I can’t think of anything right now.”
Prep some stories for the times you failed, solved a problem, dealt with conflict, disagreed with someone – and other tales. Use the STAR method:
Describe the Situation you were faced with; the Task you were responsible for in that situation; the Action you took to accomplish the task; and the Result of the action taken.
Prepping a few anecdotes will also help you tell more stories when asked “tell me about a time when…” questions, as a lot of these questions are variations on a theme and you can work with the basics of what you have already created. We usually only have faced so many big problems or conflicts.
Prepare your questions
They’re also going to ask if you have any questions for them, and you can’t say no to that. You have to ask your own questions in the interview (LINK). Additionally, they should be good questions that show you’re interested in the job and company and not just what you get out of it. So, don’t ask how much vacation time you get, if the benefits include massages, or if it’s OK to start late and quit early on Fridays. Ask what would be expected in your first six months on the job, why the position is open (where did the last employee go? Or is it a new role?), and how success is measured in the organization.
Rehearse
If you’re nervous, it helps to rehearse before the event. Ask a friend to practice with you and play the interviewer. Run through your answers and collect feedback. It might seem a little silly, but rehearsing can put you at ease and feedback can help you improve your answers. If you don’t have someone to practice with, film yourself and see how you look and sound. Actors rehearse their movie roles to get good at them, and rehearsing can help you too.
Print copies of your resume
You might assume the interviewer will have a copy of your resume but don’t rely on it. It’s not unheard of to have a frazzled manager show up, torn between tasks, confused about who they’re interviewing, and scrambling through the files on their computer trying to remember who you are. Or to be interviewed by a panel, half of whom haven’t been fully clued in. Make it easy for them by handing over a copy, or copies, of your resume so you’re all on the same page and everyone knows what’s happening.
Research the company
Candidates who fail to research the company before the interview is one of the most commonly cited frustrations of hiring managers. It’s said that most applicants don’t do their research, so if you do, you’ll be ahead of the game. Demonstrate that you’re motivated and enthusiastic about the job by showing up knowing your stuff. You should know what products and services they sell, who the key players are, the company’s mission and values, who their competitors are in the market, anything newsworthy that has happened lately, and whatever else you can find out.
Plan your outfit
Make sure you’ve got something ready and set out the day before, so you’re not scrambling at the last minute and realizing the shirt you planned to wear has a big stain on it, your pants are dirty, or you can’t find something. Choose something professional, clean, and neutral.
Map (or prep) your location
If your interview is virtual, you only have to walk from one room to another, or over to your desk. If that’s the case, make sure the area is quiet, clean, and well lit, and will look good on video. Clean up behind you, and ensure that the area won’t be too busy with people coming and going. Warn other people living in your house that you will be having a job interview so they can keep the noise down and avoid the interview area. If your interview is outside your home, make sure you know where you’re going, how you’re going to get there, and how long it will take. Leave extra time on top of that so you won’t be late.
Get a good night’s sleep
Don’t stay up too late the night before your interview binge watching Netflix. Go to bed and get a good rest.
Take a deep breath
Do all of the above before the day of the interview. On interview day, get up, get ready, don’t stress yourself out and drive yourself crazy. Take a deep breath and keep breathing. If you have anxiety, this will help you calm down and focus. Now, go knock their socks off.
