The following is the first installment in a multi-part series on how to get the most out of your job interview. This part will focus on pre-interview preparation, with subsequent installments on presentation, the interview itself, and post-interview procedures and recommendations.
Preparation before an interview is crucial. It will greatly increase your likelihood of success and grant you confidence in yourself. There are a few specific areas to focus on:
- Knowledge of the company and position being applied for
- Knowledge of past work experience and personal traits
- Personal Preparation skills
1. Knowledge of the company and position
You should research the company or firm you are applying to work for. Begin with general information, then seek out specifics related to the position you want. This will do two things for you: first, it give you insight into exactly what the company looks for in its employees, second, it will give you material and ideas to talk about with your interviewer(s). This first reason is critical: after initial research you may realize that the company, job, or location is not right for you, and can save yourself the time, stress and effort of going through with an interview for a job that you cannot accept. This is a good realization to have at home, rather than during an interview. However, if you decide the job is for you, you will have topics of conversation and questions ready beforehand. By demonstrating knowledge of the company, its values and its goals during your interview, you will present yourself as someone truly interested in the position, i.e. you know exactly what the position and company are about and still desire the job, as well as someone who takes initiative. Furthermore, by knowing as much as possible about the company and job, you will be in a position to consciously highlight the parts of your resume and your individual skill sets that best align with those the company is seeking out. In other words, knowledge of the company, the job, and even the interviewer directly enables you to present yourself in the best way possible.
So, how are you supposed to research the company? Start with their website. Nearly every company is on the web these days, and it is common practice to put such things as “mission statements”, “about us”, and “investor information” sections on company websites. These are a great source for background and general information. Also, many sites are equipped with a ‘search’ feature that can be utilized to look up information on the interviewer (if you have their name), the position, the job location, or other specifics that may come in useful. Besides their website, general web searches generally yield common information about the company that may be useful. Also be sure to conduct general web searches to discover how the industry works if you are moving to a new field. Discover what the market is, who the major competitors are, and how they make their money.
As for more specific information, you will want to know recent industry trends, especially those that affect your job area. In addition, see if you can find out what skills and qualities successful people in the field are expected to have. Try to determine how the company that is interviewing you differentiates itself from its competitors and why. If you are a college student, your school’s career center will undoubtedly be able to aid you in this type of research. If not, try to conduct web searches as specifically as possible to target the information you need. Additionally, try a local library or major book store. You will likely find a host of periodicals with the latest information, trends, major players, and issues affecting whichever industry your job is in.
2. Knowledge of past work experience and personal traits
As for yourself, be sure to review your resume several times before your interview. Try creating a list of the top five skills developed in each of your past jobs that make you a good candidate for the position you are interviewing for. You will almost certainly be asked some questions, possibly many, about your past work experience. Through your knowledge of the company and its industry, try to see if you can deduce questions and topics of interest, as well as any good and bad points on your resume that may be brought up by your interviewer.
Besides a list of skills developed by your past work experience, try and determine specific character traits and qualities of yours that make you a good candidate for the job. Personality is a big consideration for many positions; be sure to note in which ways yours fits the needs of the employer. Try to think of specific examples in which you displayed these skills. It is much more effective to illustrate your character through a story than to simply describe yourself. Beware of taking too long, however. Try to choose short, concise examples, or you risk loosing the patience or attention of your interviewer. Also, pick recent cases. People change, and an example from many years back may do little for you in the eyes of your interviewer.
3. Personal Preparation skills
There are many different ways in which individuals prepare themselves for interviews. Physical preparation will be covered in forthcoming presentation installment. Besides physical preparation, however, many individuals need to prepare themselves mentally and emotionally to perform at their best during an interview. Many people practice asking questions to themselves in front of the mirror. Other people videotape themselves, so they can watch their presentation in detail. Practice smiling and maintaining eye contact. These two simple things do a lot to increase your attractiveness to the interviewer, as well as improve your self-image and confidence. You could have a friend help you with this by asking you questions you have determined your interviewer is likely to ask in a mock interview. Conduct this ‘trial-run’ in as realistic a setting as possible; you might even wear the clothes you plan on wearing to the interview. Go over your resume and the information you have researched until you memorize it. Conduct trial interviews until they go perfectly smooth. Finally, be sure to get a good night of sleep the night before the interview. Too little sleep, though perhaps unnoticed by you, almost always hinders your performance and the image you present of yourself.
By following these steps to prepare yourself for your interview, you will have greatly increased the likelihood that you will perform to the best of your abilities during the interview. Moreover, you will be prepared to illustrate why you are a competitive candidate by using specific examples of the skills and qualities required for the position. Also, you will be able to show how you fill fit in well with the company with a view to their values and goals. Lastly, the knowledge that you have spent significant time and energy on preparation will give you confidence, the most useful trait of all, going into the interview.
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