Shower, shave and get dressed is what many people consider proper prep for a job interview. However, in my decades of experience training job seekers, I’ve found that it takes much, much more to land your dream job. Preparing for the interview is hard work and not something to take lightly—unless you don’t want the job.
Do your homework!
Go
to the company’s website to find as much as you can about them. What do they do? Are there any recent press releases?
Learn
about the corporate culture. Do they
post information about their employees for public recognition? Are they fun?
Are they active in fundraising for charities?
All
this information can be used during your interview. Just weave the information you find into your
answers and during the question period at the end of the interview.
Know
your audience!
Consider the types of
questions you may be asked.
Do
some research as to what type of questions you might be asked. For example, if applying for an HR position, I found dozens of possible
questions within seconds of an Internet search.
From
my many contacts in various industries at various levels, I hear that employers
are looking for people with soft skills these days. Therefore, you may be asked questions that
offer an insight into how you think and act.
These could be about how you deal with deadlines, conflicts, and
stressful situations.
Many
employers are experiencing problems with how entry-level employees view – or
define – integrity, accountability, customer service, and even what it is to
have a “work ethic”. So, expect to have
questions involving these characteristics as well.
Practice, practice, and then
practice some more.
In
front of a mirror, practice answering the questions you found during your
research. Imagine a team of interviewers
in front of you. Imagine that you are
comfortable and ready to wow them. Then,
do it repeatedly until you feel ready for anything they may throw at you.
What's
more, be ready for those zingers. Some
just love to toss around the quirky question.
This is an example of what Glassdoor.com compiled: “Just entertain me
for five minutes; I’m not going to talk.”
Finally,
use what you’ve learned about the company to create questions you will ask at
the end of the interview.
Dress the part.
It
seems like this would be a no-brainer.
However, from all my contacts, even a few from the medical field, many
job candidates simply don’t know how to dress for the interview. The
simple rule is to dress a bit more formally than the job requires. However, most often, a suit and nicely
polished shoes is a perfect choice.
Scrutinize your resume.
This
too seems like a no-brainer.
Nevertheless, many will create a resume, put it in their files, and
forget to update it for each employer. It’s important to tweak your resume for each
interview to reflect how your skills and education coalesce with the company.
Above
all, mind your manners!
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by Rebecca
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