How to Prepare for an Interview
How to prepare for an interview
Preparing for an interview can be intimidating but here are a few steps to help make it easier:
Tips for a great interview
- Carefully examine the job description
- Consider why you are interviewing for the position
- Are you qualified for the position?
- Do research on the company that you are interviewing for
- Consider your answers to the most common interview questions
Interview Skills
- Why should they hire you? What makes you the most qualified?
- Tell the interviewer about yourself
- Know why you are interested in this position at this company
- Research salaries
- Prepare some stories; how would you act in this situation? how have you acted in the past situations?
- Brush up on interview skills
- Practice your answers to common questions; but don’t memorize the answers
- Consider your body language (crossing your arms can signify your “blocking someone out”)
- Write down questions to ask the interviewer; be specific to the job and company
Getting ready for the interview
- Look appropriate and professional; cleaned and ironed clothes, makeup, hair done, not revealing clothes, body and hair clean
- Print out copies of your resume
- Pack your bag ahead of time; resume, gum, notepad, pen, cellphone, chapstick
- Figure out where the interview is and how you are going to get there
- Get a good night’s sleep
- Calm down and try to relax
- Score a success in the first 5 minutes; some studies indicate that interviewers make up their minds about candidates in the first 5 minutes of the interview. They spend the rest of the time trying to confirm that decision
- Start with a positive comment about the company
- Send thank you notes after the interview
- Practice interview etiquette; watch your body language, shake hands firmly, make eye contact, pay attention and be attentive
If you have an interview coming let me know if these tips help you.
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