How to Prepare for an Interview
How to Prepare for an Interview
Interviewing is the most exciting and nerve-wracking part of the job search process; knowing how to prepare for an interview is essential. The key is thorough preparation beforehand that will enable relaxed confidence when you sit across the desk from someone who holds your future in his hands. The theme to how to prepare for an interview: “practice, Practice, PRACTICE!”
Preparing accomplishment stories
Good interview preparation begins long before you get the call. Identify skills and accomplishments that have brought you success in the past and prepare to speak about them. Use a simple format, such as SOAR (Situation, Objective, Actions, Results) to describe how you achieved your results. Find as many as you can and be able to support all the claims you made in your resume.
Getting the call
It is most helpful to think of an interview as if it were any other business meeting. You would not go to a business meeting without knowing basic information such as where it will be, how long it will take, who will be there and how you should prepare. Don’t be afraid to ask these questions. Knowing who will be interviewing you – names and titles – will be valuable in helping you prepare for the interview. Asking how long it will take is reasonable so that you can make whatever arrangements are needed for transportation, childcare, etc. It will also give you a clue about whether the interview will be consecutive individual meetings or a group interview.
Obviously, you won’t ask how to prepare for the interview, but you can ask whether you should bring copies of your resume (take them anyway), whether you will be expected to fill out an application form (if so, take a prepared sample that has all your information), and if there is anything else you might need.
To get a clue about what to wear to the interview, ask about the normal dress of employees at the location where you will be. Be sure to clarify where the meeting will be held, whether you will need to go through security, the name of the person you should contact when you arrive (and their phone number, in case you need to contact them). You may think you are being annoying, but you are showing that you are thorough, proactive and know how to prepare for an interview.
Learning about the company
Learn as much as you can about both the company and the people who will be interviewing you. There are several reasons for this:
· It will show your potential employer that you cared enough to learn about their company.
· It will help you identify things that are important to them that you can reference during your interview. This will help you build rapport.
· It will help you identify questions you can ask at the interview.
· It will help you begin to learn whether the company is a good fit for you.
Places where you can find information:
· The company website and Facebook page
· Search on the company name in Internet search engines to find recent news
· Securities and Exchange Commission, for financial information on publicly traded companies
· Online news sources – search on company name
· Business databases, which are usually paid subscriptions, but often available at public libraries for free
· The research librarian at a larger public library can provide assistance.
Preparing for questions
Put yourself in the mindset of the hiring manager to think through what questions you are likely to be asked. Most interviewers use behavioral interviewing, which requires you to give specific examples of past relevant experience. It can be difficult to think of such examples in the stressful heat of the interview, so do all that you can to prepare in advance. Practice your answers aloud, using the SOAR format. Practice in front of a mirror; consider recording yourself and watching or listening back to detect delivery issues.
Prepare some intelligent questions to ask the interviewer(s). See the other articles on this topic on this website.
Prepare your elevator pitch
Be prepared to answer the question: “tell me about yourself” with a 1-2 minute summary of the relevant parts of your career and what makes you a great candidate for this particular job. You may not get this exact question, but are likely to get something similar. If you are not asked, look for an opportunity to explain your strengths and qualifications for the job; you should know them and how they fit with the needs of the employer.
What to wear to an interview
Your goal is to show respect for the interview situation while showing the interviewers that you fit in. Usually, you can’t go wrong with a suit or jacket and tie for men and a suit or dress for women. An exception would be a company whose culture is decidedly casual or non-traditional where formality might be frowned upon. In those cases, dressing one step above typical employee wear would be a good bet; if they wear jeans, dress business casual. Decide what you will wear to the interview in advance, and make sure that your clothes are neat, clean and pressed. You may carry a notepad to take notes, but do not burden yourself with a large briefcase or unwieldy pocketbook, unless you need to bring large samples of your work.
Directions and arrival
Be sure that by the day before the interview, you know the directions to the site and how long it will take you to get there. Consider making a practice run at about the same time of day as your interview so you can gauge traffic. Fill your car with gas.
On the day of the interview, plan your departure time with plenty of added buffer to deal with traffic or other unanticipated delays. Plan to arrive at the site early but not enter the building until about five minutes before you are scheduled to arrive. However, you must not be late! That is a job-killer.
Relax and sleep well
Having thoroughly prepared and practiced will give you confidence that you have done all you can to excel in the interview. Set your alarm, get a good night’s sleep and try to take your mind off it. You have shown you know how to prepare for an interview, and that is half the battle.