Congratulations, you did it! Your resume and cover letter landed you the interview for your dream job. Other than being excited, now is the time to prepare for your interview.
Interviewers use the time with you to determine if you will be a good fit in their company. The more comfortable and relaxed you are during the interview, the easier it will be for the interviewer to learn more about you. Be yourself and let the interviewer get to know you.
“The secret of acing a job interview is to stop believing in luck and start believing in yourself.”
(1) Arrive for the interview 5 – 10 minutes early. Be prepared for the type of interview you will have whether it be a one-on-one interview, group interview, panel interview, or if there will be testing. Give yourself enough time for the interview. You don’t want to cut the interview short because you have another appointment.
(2) Always carry extra resumes in a brief case or in a clean folder.
(3) Use the company research you conducted earlier to prepare for the interview questions. Know the company’s mission statement, their company goals, and how your skills and experience fit with the company and position you applied for. Stay focused on what you can do for the company, not how the company can benefit you.
(4) When asked a question, take time to think about what you want to say and then give a thoughtful answer. Don’t be afraid of a little silence between the interviewer’s question and your answer. Interviewers want to know you think about what you are going to say before you say it.
(5) Once you start speaking, come to the point quickly. Avoid giving a story that leads up to the answer to the question they asked. The interviewer may have other appointments after you. If you hold them up with drawn-out stories, they will remember you put them behind schedule.
Related: Will Your Cover Letter Fail To Get You The Interview?
(6) It’s great to prepare answers for questions you know the interviewer will ask, but be authentic with your responses, not overly rehearsed.
(7) Unless the interviewer brings up salary, don’t be the one to ask how much the position pays.
(8) The dreaded question has arrived. Why did you leave your last position? If you were laid off or fired, this question can cause a lot of stress to answer. Don’t lie, give a brief answer as to why you were let go and if necessary, say you learned from the experience. You don’t have to go into detail or give the whole back story as to what happened. Always keep in mind, don’t badmouth your previous employer, their company, or anyone you worked with. It is not professional and puts you in a very negative light.
(9) When asked about your previous salary, you don’t need to give specifics, but certainly don’t lie about what your salary was. You can say the industry standard for this position is (fill in the amount).
(10) When the interviewer asks if you have questions, have some already in mind. Ask about their experience with the company, why the position is available, describe the company culture, what is a typical day like for this position, what are the career opportunities in the company?
(11) If referred to the position from a friend in the company, or you have a friend or relative already working at the company, let the interviewer know. It could be the bonus point to be hired.
(12) When preparing for the interview, practice answers with friends or family or use a recorder to hear how you speak. Do you speak quickly or use filler words such as “um” or “ah”? It is better to know ahead so you can work on your rate of speech and deleting those filler words.
Related: 6 Job Search Must Dos
(13) Be friendly, but not stalker friendly. Avoid personal compliments or comments such as you love their skirt/hair style/sweater or mention pictures they have on their desk. You don’t know the interviewer well enough to have personal conversations.
(14) Walk, talk, and look the part of the position you are applying for. First impressions do matter. Have a strong handshake, not bone crushing, but firm and give good eye contact when shaking their hand. Keep perfume, cologne, make-up, jewelry, and trendy clothes to a minimum. Navy, black, or gray for most office positions is appropriate.
(15) Show confidence, not arrogance, with your answers. Be expressive and enthusiastic for the position you are applying for. Sit upright and relaxed with your hands in your lap. Using hand gestures to emphasize your answers are great but stay away from wildly waving your arms around for expression, fidgeting with the string on your sleeve, or bouncing your leg up and down.
(16) When asked the “tell me about yourself” question, emphasize your relevant skills for the position. There is no need to review your whole work history, they already read your resume and cover letter.
(17) When asked “what is your biggest weakness” be honest about what you have struggled with and what you have, or continue to do, to become better.
(18) When leaving the interview, show confidence even if you think the interview did not go well. Final impressions are as important as first impressions.
(19) Send a thank you note by mail, addressed to the interviewer. This is not a follow-up to the interview, but a thank you note for taking the time to meet with you.
Related: Want To Write A Winning Resume? Read This!
(20) Whether your interview went well or not, don’t broadcast the details on social media. If the interviewer decides to review your Facebook, LinkedIn, or Twitter page, they won’t be impressed that you posted about the interview.
Don’t “Wing it!”
Take the time to prep and show the interviewer you are perfect for the job.
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