Well done on getting an interview! Now comes the difficult part that is, impressing your interviewer. You’ll have to prepare to sell yourself, with the keyword here being prepare.
If you’re reading this blog, you’re definitely on the right track! Here are some helpful pointers to get you as close as possible to being successful in your upcoming interview
Be early, be proper: Once the world opens up again and you might have an interview in person, make sure you are there early. Know the way to their office and show up dressed according to their dress code.
Onto the interview itself, be honest, starting a relationship with a lie is just going to bite you in the ass in the long run.
Do your research on the job: Read through the job description thoroughly, it is important to make sure that nothing from the job description will surprise you during the interview. You will also want to go through their requirements and be ready to explain how you meet them and how you would be able to contribute towards the company’s goals.
Know the company: In addition to reading the JD, you should do your own research on the company and its products. Learn about their market, who are their competitors and what kind of service/product are they selling. You don’t want to stutter when they ask you questions regarding the company – the more you know, the more passionate you’ll seem.
Prepare answers: There are certain questions that frequently come up during interviews. It can be a good idea to look up the most commonly asked questions and have an answer for them. Getting one of these questions without being prepared for it and stuttering your way through a sub-par answer is not a good look.
The classics are for example;
The last one is a bit tricky, as when asked about your weaknesses you don’t want to overshare with your potential employer. While at the same time you don’t want to claim you are flawless. Going with something that’s already obvious on your resume is a safe bet, “I lack experience in X” for example.
Ask questions: Look at the interview as a two-sided affair, you should be asking them questions during it just as they are asking you questions. You will want to learn as much about the company and the job as possible and parts of that information might not be in the description. At the end of the interview, they will ask if you have any questions, at that point, I would recommend you to have some questions already written down to ask them. Being an active participant in the interview makes you look more interested and shows that you put in time and effort to prepare.
Have your CV in front of you, in case you get asked about points on it to make it easier to answer.
Relax: Lastly and I know this might sound impossible, try and relax, being overly nervous is not getting you anywhere. The interviewers are people too and have been on your side of the table. Being interviewed is a skill, and every interview you don’t succeed at will make you better at it.
