Preparing for the interview
HOW TO PREPARE FOR A JOB INTERVIEW
No matter how outstanding your credential may look in the resume; be reminded that all that is just in a piece of paper. You still have a big task of impressing the employer in person.
Preparing well for an interview will make a huge difference in your chances of getting the position. Your preparedness will also make you less nervous during the process.
So how do you exactly prepare yourself for an interview? Well websites, blogs and video tutorials will almost tell you the same thing and these are:
- research the company and the job position
- practice
- be prepared with a success story
- be ready to ask the interviewer a question
- 1. Know the company and the job position
The best way to gain more knowledge about the company is to visit their website, through newspaper articles or features about the company. Learn the mission and vision of the company, their history as well as the products or services they sell.
By immersing yourself with as many information as you can about the company, you will be able to discuss current trends in the industry, organization of the company and about the position you are applying for.
- 2. Practice
Ask a friend to do mock up interview with you. You can also research and rehearse good answers to the most commonly asked interview questions like:
- Why are you interested to work here?
- Why should we hire you?
- What are your strengths and weaknesses?
- How do you see yourself 10 years from now?
- Why did you leave your previous company?
Prepare concise answers and use some common industry jargons. Most importantly, practice answering questions by maintaining eye contact, this will give the impression of confidence.
- 3. Your very own success story
Your talents are your assets, so be sure that you can highlight those talents during the interview process. For your own success story, list all the things you have achieved in your previous job or internship. The next step is to link that with the working environment of the company and to the position. It is very important to first fully understand the company so you can choose what type of success is appropriate for the upcoming interview.
- 4. Questions to the interviewer
Interviewers will always you if you have questions at the end of the interview. To be able to ask a good question will give the impression that you are really interested about the job and the company.
Good questions to ask will be about:
- Opportunities for professional growth in the company.
- Questions about what was discussed during the interview.
- You can also ask questions to build rapport to the interviewer like how long has he been working for the company.
- 5. Dress appropriately
The rule is, dress for the interview the way you would dress if you are working in the company. The safest would be to wear something business-casual outfit. Do not wear bright colors, blues, browns, grays, black are usually the best for corporate look.
The most important thing to remember is to be honest. It is best to tell the interviewer that you have no idea about something. Also, do not oversell yourself by making stories, employers do background checks so in the end, they will know that you are not telling the truth.