Good Tips to Prepare for an Interview

So, you spent weeks and weeks tailoring your resume to land yourself an interview for that job that you have been hankering after and it worked! This is exciting news, of course, but don’t get ahead of yourself and start planning how you’ll spend that first paycheck just yet; there are likely to be dozens of people in the running so it’s key you set yourself apart by preparing well for your interview.

Here are our top tips for acing an interview!

Prepare for an interview by doing some research first

First and foremost you should know exactly what the role you’ll be entering requires of you; if you don’t, call the person who arranged the interview and ask for a detailed job description. You could also research the company and its history in general so that you look knowledgeable and can ask more insightful questions about the job.

Practice answering common interview questions

Take some time to review the most common interview questions and prepare your answers. 

Interview Etiquette

This is all important, although perhaps not something you can prepare for necessarily. Remember that these people are not your friends at the bar. You should be friendly and enthusiastic, certainly, but not informal or unprofessional. Be aware of your body language; shake hands firmly, make eye contact and smile. If need be, prepare for an interview by role playing in the mirror or with a close friend.

Listening is key

It’s important that you speak, of course, but doubly key to listen; build a rapport with the interviewer and pay close attention to the questions that are asked of you. Misinterpreting a question can make you look foolish. One tip to show you have been listening is to use vocabulary from the question in your answer.

Turn weakness into strength

Owning your weakness can be a strength. When asked in interview what your weaknesses are, then you should also put forward ways in which these weaknesses can be circumvented and used to your advantage. Prepare for an interview by identifying your weaknesses and strengths and finding ways of making them sound attractive.

First impressions are lasting impressions

Think about what outfit will give the right impression to your future employer. For professional roles think suit, for more creative personality driven jobs you could get away with a more informal getup.

Punctuality is essential

Be sure that you plan your travel in advance to anticipate traffic and troubles when it comes to parking. Arriving ten minutes early will stop you from being stressed when you arrive and give you more time to prepare for an interview right before you are called.

Get a good night’s sleep

Even if you can’t sleep, you should try to go to bed early; it’ll help you to decompress and rise better rested.

Acknowledge your nerves

Some people swear by visualization to prepare for an interview; they say that picturing yourself calm and in control can help. You could also avoid caffeine, and add lavender oil to a handkerchief to center yourself. Just remember, if you get nervous in the interview take deep breaths, slow and steady.

add link to article from last week on Top 20 Interview Questions.