Interview Prep: Every Battle Needs a Strategy

With increasingly high competition for job positions, it’s no wonder entering the job market feels like a battle. You’re likely competing against dozens of candidates (if not more!) for a single position, which means you need a strategy to succeed. The first part of your plan? Prepare. Here’s what you need to know before you go:

#1: The Interview Style:

There are several ways that a company might choose to interview you, including:

• ·         Skills test or personality profile
• ·         Phone Interview
• ·         Video Interview
• ·         Face-To-Face Interview

For a first interview, it’s common to be pre-screened via telephone. Make sure your phone is charged, the interviewer has the correct number, and keep the date and time of your interview in mind. The same idea applies to video interviews, with the added advice of making sure you have a reliable Internet connection.

If you’re taking a skill or personality test, don’t panic. These are meant to determine how well you fit in with the position and company, so be honest and do your best. If this rules you out, it probably wasn’t for you anyway.

Finally, if you’re interviewing with the company in person, keep in mind that there could be one interviewer, a panel, or even multiple interviews the same day.

#2: Your Resume:

When you’re prepping for an interview, think of your resume as your road map. If you have something on your resume, be prepared to talk about it. Go through each bullet point, and practice describing your experiences and qualifications.

Don’t include information that you can’t support on your resume with specific references, or work examples. If the employers asks about something that you have a hard time proving to them, they won’t trust you. And if they don’t trust you, you’re not going to be working for them.

Print your resume out the night before, even if the company didn’t ask you to bring one. Make sure there are several copies, in case you end up interviewing with a panel. This shows you put thought into your interview, and employers will appreciate it.

#3: What To Wear:

A survey conducted by The Ladders Management Careers Company claims that 37% of employers surveyed decided against hiring a candidate because of the way they were dressed.

Let that sink in.

These candidates may have had great qualifications, a well-polished resume, arrived on time, and answered the interview questions well. But, because they dressed inappropriately, they were turned down.

Err on the side of caution with how you dress. Traditional, formal clothing is always a safe bet, so please leave the flip flops at home. Here are some examples of formal interview clothing for men and women.

#4: Company Information:

Ever been asked, “So why do you want to work here?” Make sure you have an answer that reflects your knowledge of the company. Not, “Because you’re hiring.”

Visit their website, read their mission statement, follow their social media accounts, and stay up to date on news about the company. These pieces of information will show your dedication to the employer, and come across as professional and impressive.

Research can also be conducted during your interview when you ask relevant questions about the company and express interest. The following are great questions to ask your interviewer:

• ·         What do you like about this company?
• ·         How do you envision this position supporting you?
• ·         How would you define “success” for this position?

And of course, there are also questions you should never ask:

• ·         Can I change the job details/schedules/salary?
• ·         Do you do background checks?
• ·         What does your company do?
• ·         How quickly can I be promoted?
• ·         Do you monitor email/computer usage?
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One final piece of advice: arrive early, but not too early.

Now that you’re strategy is in place, stay tuned for part two of the interview process.