Congratulations! That hard work on your resume and cover letter paid off and you got the call for an interview. Don’t panic, you’ve got this. If you are willing to make the effort, I have some great tips to help you prepare for the interview and set you up for that job offer for your dream job.
This pre-work is the best way to build your confidence so you feel like a rock star going into the interview. This is your time to brag. To tell your best stories. Be proud of yourself. Toot your horn as they say. (BTW, that’s why I put a picture of a statue blowing a horn on this blog!)
Remember that a job interview is not a one-way conversation. It’s a two-way process. Yes, the company representative’s goal is to determine if you are a good fit and the best candidate. But you are also looking for the right job with the right company that is the best fit for you.
Follow these simple steps to help you successfully navigate the interview process. These job interview tips will apply to phone and video interviews, as well as in person.
1. Confirm the details.
You might get a little excited when you get the call for the interview. Make sure you are clear on the date, time, and location for the interview. Many businesses have multiple locations. Make sure you know the exact building, floor, and office. Ask about visitor parking, dress code, and what paperwork you need to bring.
If it’s a video interview, make sure you have the correct link and confirm the time zone in case the interviewer is in a different part of the country. Check the background of the room where you plan to do the interview. You don’t want to air your literal dirty laundry!
Don’t under plan for telephone interviews! Confirm whether or not the interviewer is calling you or if you are calling them. Make sure you plan to take the call in a quiet room with no background noise and a strong cell signal.
2. Research the company.
Start with the company website. Make sure you have a good understanding of the main business. Check out the “About Us” section to see if they publish their mission statement, vision, and values. These will be indicators about the company culture.
Scroll the company social media channels. You might want to bring up a noteworthy announcement about a new product launch or an award they’ve recently won.
Don’t forget to look at sites like Glassdoor and Indeed. Employees can leave anonymous reviews of the company, culture, pay, etc. I also like to do a Google search for company reviews. These will help you uncover any product or service issues and see how the company responds.
After watching the TV show “The Dropout” about Elizabeth Holmes and the unethical behavior at her company Theranos, I would advise you to do a company search with the Better Business Bureau, and search the OSHA website for safety incident claims.
It’s common for an interviewer to ask “What do you know about [Company Name]? So, you want to do the research and have some good talking points prepared.
3. Try the company’s product or service.
If time allows, try the company’s product. Go to their brick and mortar store and buy their product. Pay attention to the signage, employees, and atmosphere. Visit their website and shop for items and go through the check-out process. These experiences will give you great information to use in the interview. Your observations can also help you decide if this really is the kind of company you want to work for.
4. Follow the company on social media.
Search for the company on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube, TikTok, etc. Follow/like them and review some of their posts, videos, etc. Make notes about the content that might be related to the position you are interviewing for. Again, these may help you with the small talk in the interview when you bring up specific examples from your research. You will look like a motivated go-getter!
5. Research the industry.
Many employers like to hire people with industry experience. But if your career path hasn’t overlapped with the industry of this job, that’s ok. Do your research and familiarize yourself with some of the industry terms and jargon. Understand who the competitors might be. See what’s in the news. Do a Google Search for the industry and click on the “News” tab in the search results. It’s very likely the interviewer will ask you what you know about the industry. You need to be prepared for what you will say.
6. Prepare your salary expectations.
If they haven’t asked already, your interviewer will eventually ask you about your salary expectations. You can research salaries online for your position and industry. Sites like Indeed and Glassdoor may have helpful information as well. The best time to get a nice bump in your pay is when you switch companies. Don’t waste this chance!
7. Study the job description.
Try to carve out some time to spend on this step. I think it’s a good idea to do this in a Word doc or Google doc. Go through each line item in the job description and prepare an answer for each one. I’ve had many interviewers do exactly this. If you use this tip, it’s like having the answers to the test. It’s one of the most important steps for interview preparation. Print out your answers and you can reread them in the car before you go in.
8. Anticipate your weaknesses.
Now, don’t get worried if you find skills in the job posting that you don’t have. Very few people have 100% of the experience and job requirements. It’s ok. You just need to anticipate and plan your answers to questions about things you don’t have experience in. Think about your transferable skills and how you can spin those as an advantage.
“While I don’t have direct experience with [that skill], I have related experience in [some other related skill].”
“Through my internships I have not yet had the opportunity to work in that area. But I am very excited to learn. That was one of the things that stood out to me in the job description. I actually found a really interesting blog on that topic in my research for this interview….”
Ok, if you said something like that to me in an interview, you would get major brownie points!
9. Research the interviewer(s).
Ideally, the hiring manager gave you all the names of the people you will be meeting with so you can research them as well. These preparation tips will help you whether the meetings are one-on-one or a panel interview.
I always check LinkedIn and look for any people we have as common connections. If that is the case, I reach out to my connection to either have them put in a good word for me or get any information about the interviewer that might be helpful in the conversation.
I also do a Google Search for the person to see if we have any common interests, if they work with a charity, have won awards, etc. You can use these nuggets to start a conversation and build a rapport.
It’s ok to make some notes and bring them into the interview. It makes you look prepared and invested in the process.
10. Review your resume.
Make sure you remember all of the details about any experiences and job duties you put on your resume. In some cases, the interviewer may simply go from job to job or section to section on your resume and ask you about each.
This is another step you may want to take the time to write down the information. This is more of a narrative or conversational story versus the specific language you use on your resume. Prepare a brief summary of each job at each company, highlight your best projects from school or tasks from your extracurricular activities that relate to the job you are interviewing for. Toot your horn! See, I said it again. Find your confidence!
11. Think about what sets you apart.
Imagine five to ten other people interviewing for this same job. They may have a similar education or work background. So, then, what sets you apart? What makes you unique? In marketing we refer to this as your value proposition. This might require a little introspection.
An easy question to ask is “Why do you think you are the best candidate for this job?”
Your answer can be a combination of school and work experience as well as personality traits, volunteer experience, hobbies, etc. This leads us to the next item on our list…
12. Think about what is not on your resume.
Companies hire whole people with lives outside the workplace. You may have valuable experience and personal qualities that can be linked to your career goals and what you have to offer a company.
High school students can bring a fresh perspective with their passion and joy. College students can learn valuable skills as officers in Greek Organizations. Parents who coach sports teams may be able to talk about leadership skills and team-building. If you volunteer at events like races or auctions, you may have developed strong interpersonal skills that you could mention in the interview.
13. Research interview questions.
A quick Google search will give you a list of many common questions. You can even search for interview questions for specific job titles. (top accounting interview questions or top lifeguard interview questions) Remember your interviewers are busy people with full-time jobs. They may not be super prepared. They may even Google the same list of questions you find!
Definitely prepare your answer to the "Tell me about yourself" question. Most people start an interview with this question. Check out this article that gives you nine ideas for how to answer tell me about yourself.
This is another step I strongly recommend you write the answers down. List the interview question and then take some time to create your response. Write it down. Use your best grammar and vocabulary. Doing this advance when you have time to simmer, will help you prepare much better answers. You don’t want to have to come up with your greatest weaknesses on the fly! If you write your answers down, you can print them as a cheat sheet anytime you get called for an interview.
14. Research behavior-based interviewing.
A popular interview style uses behavioral interview questions. These questions break-down your experience into situation, behavior, and outcome. It could be helpful to think about the bullets on your resume in this format.
Situation: What was the task or project? Why did your boss give you this work to do?
Behavior: What did you do? What were your actions? What process did you follow?
Outcome: What happened? What was achieved? Was it successful?
15. Practice your answers.
Once you have completed your research and written down the interview answers you can come up with, now you need to practice. Quiz yourself. Use the voice-memo on your phone and record your answers. Do your best to eliminate “like, um, you know.” This is a great way to hear your tone of voice and the speed of your speech.
Ask a trusted friend or family member to conduct mock interviews. You might even video yourself. The more you practice, the better prepared you will be and the less likely you will be to rely on verbal crutches, like, um, you know. Think about your nonverbal communication as well: eye contact, smile, good posture (see #16).
I once counted 17 “likes” from a candidate in a phone interview in the first 10 minutes. Unfortunately, I knew they were not a fit in those first few minutes. When the job post asks for strong verbal communication skills, this is what we mean. You need to be able to complete a sentence without like, um, you know. Being better prepared can help with this.
16. Think about body language.
If you are new to the interview process or if it’s been a few years since you’ve been through this process, it’s a good idea to practice your posture, eye contact, smile and handshake. Do you bounce your knee when you are nervous? Twirl your hair? Bite your lip? Take the time to think about all of this and be more self-aware when you go into the interview.
This also applies to phone interviews. Plan to take the call where you can be seated with good posture and take notes. I’ve conducted phone interviews with candidates who sounded like they were lying on a couch after a nap! They sounded bored and uninterested. Almost like I was wasting their time.
And don’t forget to smile. We can hear that through the phone!
17. Plan your first impression.
If this is your first time going through the interview process, you may want to practice your firm handshake and eye contact. You don’t want to crush the bones in their hand and you don’t want to offer them a clammy, limp handshake.
Every interview begins with a little bit of chit chat and pleasantries. Did you find the office ok? How about this weather? It’s also likely the interviewer may have scheduled the meetings back to back and they are low on energy.
This is your chance to make a great first impression. Bring some energy and enthusiasm for the position. Smile. Thank them for their time and for the opportunity. Tell them how excited you are.
18. Make a list of your own questions.
This is another task where I suggest you write things down. It’s ok to bring in a notebook or pad of paper into the interview so you can take notes but also to refer to your pre-planned questions. Your potential employer will appreciate your preparedness.
You can also do a Google search for “best questions to ask an employer.” Here are a few of my favorites:
Why is this position open?
What’s a typical day like?
What would I need to do so that in six months you said, “Wow! She is a rockstar! I am so glad we hired her!”
What kind of training do you offer?
Before I leave today, is there anything holding you back from making me an offer?
Tell me about your yearly planning process. Would I be involved?
How often would this position be required to work over-time?
19. Prepare your response to “Tell me about yourself.”
This is a popular first question for interviewers. One, I think it’s an easy way to get the candidate talking while the interviewer gets settled. And two, it gives the candidate an easy opening to share their story. But you have to be prepared.
Again, write this one down! Start by thanking them for their time and express your enthusiasm for the position. Then go into your value proposition. The thing or things that make you unique and set you apart. Then, tie that back to the job.
20. Plan your closing remarks.
I encourage you to think about how you want to end the interview. I like to use one of my prepared questions “Before I leave today, is there anything holding you back from making an offer?” This puts the interviewer on the spot and helps to uncover any reservations they have about you while you are still in the room.
I also make it very clear that I want the job. Depending on how the conversation has gone, I may even ask for the job or at least the next interview.
Employers want to make an offer that will be accepted. They want to hire people who want to work for them. You don’t want to leave the room with them doubting your interest or in the job.
Another “thank you for your time” with a smile, and you are finished!
21. Prepare your references.
Lately, I have seen some employers skip this step but it’s better to be prepared. This will take some time to contact former bosses or teachers to ask them if they would act as a reference for you. Put together a document with their name, title, company/school, email and phone number. Let all of them know what kind of jobs you are looking for so they can be prepared.
22. Prepare your materials.
Print extra copies of your resume. I know we live in the digital age, but some of us old folks like to review a paper resume. And, you never know when they might bring in another colleague for an additional interview. You want to be prepared.
Make sure you have any documentation the employer requested like a drivers license or a copy of your school transcript. Some creative positions in advertising in marketing will ask you to bring a portfolio with samples of your work if you don’t have an online portfolio.
I always bring a padfolio (a pad of paper in a fake leather folder) and pen to interviews so I can take notes. A lot of the information the interviewers share can be helpful as onboarding information once you start the job!
23. Plan your wardrobe.
Remember step #1 confirm the details? When I suggested you ask about dress code? You want to make a good first impression and part of that is your outfit. The idea of professional business attire has evolved. A full interview suit is probably going to be overdone.
Don’t wait until the morning of the interview to try on your outfit to find that nothing fits! Or it needs to be dry-cleaned or washed.
24. Plan your commute.
Plan your commute. Think about the time of the day, traffic, and road construction. You don’t want to be late so allow plenty of time. Especially if you are taking the bus or subway. If you are early, you can sit in your car and review all the printed notes you made by following my steps above.
If I am going to a part of town that I am unfamiliar with, I may do a test drive to the interview location the day before. Yes, I know that is nerdy.
25. Think like Ted Lasso: Believe!
You’ve made it to the 25th tip! You are ready! You’ve done your research. You’ve practiced your interview skills. Believe that you are the best person for the job. You are a rock star and any company would be lucky to have you. Believe!
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