You’ve got the phone call that you’ve been waiting days for. You have a job interview in a week. You’re excited about the opportunity, but at the same time, you can’t control your sweaty palms. You haven’t had an interview in a while and you’re nervous.
Take a deep breath. As long as you take the time to prepare, you’ll do fine. Familiarize yourself with common questions and come up with a few of your own. Dress to impress the interviewers and make sure you leave your house in plenty of time.
These are only a few job interview tips that will help you get hired. Check out this guide for a complete list.
1. Research the Company
As soon as you receive an email or phone call telling you that you have an interview, it’s time to do a little Google-fu. You’ll impress the interviewer if you know about the company. If you skip this step, it will show.
They may ask business-related questions that you can’t answer because you didn’t do any digging. Not only will researching help you answer queries, but it will show the interviewer that you’re interested in the job.
2. Become Familiar with Common Interview Questions
Make sure to be prepared for common interview questions. If you’re not, you’ll get more than a little caught off guard. As an opener, most people will ask you to talk about yourself.
We understand that it’s hard to do that, but if you stumble over the question, it makes you look less confident. Before the interview, take a moment to come up with a quick elevator pitch to sell yourself.
The next most common question is, “why do you want to work for this company”? This is the moment where you get to show all the research you did in step one. Show the interviewer how passionate you are about the business.
“Where did you hear about this company,” gives you a second opportunity to say great things about the business. If you have a personal connection within the ranks, make sure to mention their name.
3. Prepare a Few Questions of Your Own
Many people get so caught up in the interview preparation process that they forget to come up with a few questions of their own. If you say that you don’t have any, it makes it seem like you don’t care. That’s not a quality that many people look for in a potential employee.
A few good things to ask are:
- Can you explain the day-to-day responsibilities of my role?
- What challenges is my department currently facing?
- Can you show me any examples of what I’ll be working on?
- What attributes does someone need to have to be successful with this role?
These are only a few examples, but it’s enough to get you started.
4. Do a Few Mock Interviews
If you’ve got some anxiety about your interview, one way to loosen up a little is to do a mock one with a friend or family member. If you can’t find a person to go through the process with you, practice on your own in a mirror.
You may end up sounding a little bit rehearsed, but it’s better than appearing nervous. Practicing also helps you get your thoughts together so, you don’t stumble over your words when it’s time for the actual thing.
5. Dress the Part
Going to the company’s website is good for more than gaining information. You can also study how everyone is looks and dress accordingly.
You don’t want to go to an interview in jeans and a t-shirt, but you don’t want to overdress either. When you look at the part, you’ll act the part.
Make sure that you put on job interview outfits that are comfortable. Pulling at your clothes and shifting around doesn’t look too professional.
6. Don’t Arrive Late
Going to an interview is nerve-wracking enough without being late. You want to get there at least ten minutes early so you can do any last-minute prep. Check the weather channel before you go to account for any rain or snow.
If you know that you’re a heavy sleeper, set multiple alarms in the morning. Save the interviewer’s phone number. This way, if you get lost, or you’re going to have to be late, you can give them a call.
7. Bring a Copy of Your Resume to the Interview
You’ll have to send your resume to the interviewer digitally to apply for the job. This being said, they might not have a way to pull it up when they’re sitting down in front of you.
Print out a hard copy (or copies if there’s more than one person interviewing you). You should also bring a notebook and pen to take notes throughout the interview.
Don’t take notes on your phone or any other electronic device. This will make you look distracted rather than prepared.
Crush Your Job Interview and Get Hired
Everyone gets nervous when it comes to attending a job interview. As long as you take the time to prepare yourself, you’ll do fine. Look up common interview questions and prepare answers for them.
Come up with a few questions that you can ask the interviewer. Make sure you leave your home in plenty of time to make it to your interview with ten minutes to spare and research the company. Do this, and we promise that you’ll get almost any job that you’re after.
Now that you’ve got the job, it’s time to learn how to succeed in your new role. Check out the Business section of our blog for all the latest tips.
