Although going for an interview may be nerve-wracking, you shouldn’t validate these nerves by being ill-prepared. Sometimes, candidates shoot themselves in the foot by not reading up on the company, position, or industry before the interview. The best way to gain confidence is to prepare as comprehensively as you can. This post will give you some useful tips to get you on the right track.
1. Save each application and job advert
You should apply for each position with the anticipation of being called for an interview. Apart from keeping things organised, saving these details will make interview preparation more focused. Again, at the interview, you won’t be caught off guard when asked to clarify a detail in your CV (which you may have forgotten you added weeks prior to the interview). Going through the CV and application letter you submitted for the position you’re interviewing for is good practice—don’t stammer when asked about that project in your CV.
Make it a habit to always save the job adverts. Save the newspaper clippings and save a screenshot for online applications. Having applied for numerous positions, it’s possible to forget the details of a particular application by the time you’re called for an interview. During interview preparation, you will need to read up on the job requirements again and to remind yourself of how you’re a match. The interview questions will most likely be aimed at deciding whether you actually possess these requirements or not.
2. Conduct research on the company
What is their industry? What products/ services do they offer? Are they involved in any interesting projects? What are their mission, vision, values, and objectives? How do they define their company culture? What will your likely department and duties be? Do they have a preferred work style or management approach? What are you expected to know in the new position?
Go to their website and/ or social media (google the company if you don’t have the links). Read up on everything relating to your profession. Do further research on points you did not understand.
Make no mistake, some interviewers will ask about the company products/ services. In some interviews (like for sales positions), candidates may even be asked to prepare and present PowerPoint presentations to market the company’s product.
A good rule of thumb—if you want the interviewers to show interest in you, you must show interest in the organisation.
3. Self-assessment
In your self-assessment, you want to figure out your strengths, weaknesses, achievements, and uniqueness. But, most importantly, you want to determine how your strengths align with the requirements of the position, how your recent achievements prove the value you will bring to the new organisation, how your uniqueness (or special skills) make you the best fit for the job, and how your weaknesses won’t limit you.
Everyone is expected to have a weakness. But the important thing is leveraging on your strengths, realising when you need help, and continuously developing yourself.
4. Practice interview questions
Doing practice questions is a very effective way to ensure you do well in the actual interview. Knowing you’re prepared for the interview is also the surest way to get rid of nerves. The interview questions are meant to test your knowledge level, personality, skills, confidence, composure, articulation . . . and to determine if you possess the rest of the job requirements.
Practice questions also open your mind to the type of preparation you should be doing because they get you thinking about different scenarios, how you handled them in the past, and how they could be handled better.
On answering questions, remember to be concise, to remain professional in the content of your responses, to maintain composure, and to be confident.
5. Always be positive
People generally want to work with other people they like. Being likeable is always a good thing in an interview. Don’t speak negatively about your past job/ boss/ colleagues/ company. If you get the job and you leave later, will you say the same about the interviewing company?
6. Tailor your responses
If you have done your homework correctly before the interview, you will have an idea of what the position requires. So when asked to describe yourself, your strengths, or your weaknesses, you should align your responses to the job requirements.
There would be no point in saying your greatest strength is telemarketing when you’re interviewing for a lab assistant position.
7. Strengthen your responses
Whenever possible, you should strengthen your responses with brief examples. For example, when asked how your greatest strength will help you perform, you may respond—
My greatest strength is my leadership ability. In past projects, I have utilised it to motivate my team, to bring out the best in them, and to continually complete projects within schedule. Since this position involves a lot of project management, I’m sure my leadership skills will guarantee the expected results and outcomes every time.
Bottom line
An interview is a two-way street. You’re learning about the company as they are learning about you. If you’re a great fit, you’ll get the job; if not, you’ll find something that will suit you. Don’t be desperate for a specific job.
If you really want a job, show interest—be enthusiastic. Your enthusiasm will show at the interview when you answer questions confidently, when you show you know about the company/ position, and when you respond to the questions with enough energy.
No one can create an enthusiasm within you, which is naturally missing. It is up to you to decide that you want an opportunity and to work toward getting it.
To get the full information, with example interview questions and answers, be sure to check out our PDF eBook, The Job Interview Handbook.
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