Did you know that whether or not you get a job offer could depend on the first few minutes of a job interview? Intangible factors, such as chemistry or establishing rapport with the interviewer, are factors difficult to control. However, there are tangible factors you can control to ace your next job interview.
20 Tips on How to Prepare for an Interview
Doing well at your interview can lead to the job offer you’ve always wanted. Here are 20 interview tips you should always remember:
1. Dress the Part
An impeccable appearance will boost your confidence, according to Wendy Green, corporate coach and author of “50 Things You Can Do Today to Boost Your Confidence.” Prepare your interview attire days in advance.
Also, make sure your outfit is dry cleaned and ready to wear. Dress in a manner that is appropriate for the role for which you are interviewing, ensure that your hair is tidy, and clean your fingernails. Keep jewelry, visible tattoos and piercings to a minimum.
Read: 13 Things Millennials Should Know Before Their First Real Job
2. Research the Company and Role
What type of person is the company seeking? What about skills? Assess existing staff and the corporate culture by doing your research about the company and the role you’re seeking before the interview. This will help you come up with questions to ask during the job interview.
3. Prepare Insightful Interview Questions
It’s important to prepare questions to ask at an interview. Your questions reflect your interest and knowledge. But, “you should also not ask questions that can be easily researched,” said Dr. Heather Rothbauer-Wanish, owner of Feather Communications, which provides professional training to businesses and individuals. “For example, asking about the organizational mission statement is not a good idea if that information is clearly posted on the company website.”
Instead, show interest in the interviewers by asking questions such as, “What is your favorite part about working here?” and “What does the typical day-to-day look like for someone in this role?”
4. Show Up on Time
Arriving late is so avoidable but a common complaint of many interviewers. Gary McKraken, author of “Successful Interview Tips, Techniques and Methods For Job Seekers and Career Changers” suggests, “Do a spot of reconnaissance first so you know where [the company] is, how to get there, where to park or what the public transport links are.”
If you are delayed for some reason and will be at least seven minutes late, show respect by calling the company and asking whether you should attend or reschedule if you will be more than 10 minutes late.
Related: 5 Reasons You’re Still Unemployed
5. Know Your Interviewers
Find out the names of your interviewers ahead of time, and research their areas of expertise. To really knock an interviewer’s socks off, when responding to one participant, refer to another by name. For example, “To follow-up on my response to Carol …” Remembering names is a difficult skill to master but one that leaves a lasting impression.
6. Smile and Be Courteous
According to Craft-CV.com, almost 67 percent of candidates fail to make eye contact. Not making eye contact during an interview could imply that you’re not paying attention. Additionally, nearly 50 percent fail to smile.
Nonverbal behavior can be more important than what you say and, according to Psychology Today, smiling “opens doors.” To be approachable and engaging during your job interview, practice shaking hands, smiling, making eye contact and the art of chit chat.
7. Be Careful of What You Say and Do While Waiting
Read company brochures, or scan the room for awards to refer to in the interview when waiting for your job interview to begin. However, Pauwels Consulting advises careful selection: “Don’t take a financial paper or an annual financial report off the table if you don’t have a substantiated opinion on finances. Imagine what would happen if the recruiter asks you about your opinion, and you can’t give a satisfactory answer.”
Other tips from the consulting firm: Don’t bring your own irrelevant reading materials (like a magazine or book), don’t pull out your phone and don’t look worried or indifferent.
8. Ask for the Job
If you can fully grasp your value to the company, explain how you can deliver. Laurie Berenson, job search strategist of Sterling Career Concepts, said, “Don’t be afraid to ask for the job … tell the interviewer that you’re interested in the role, that you feel you are a strong fit and would love to continue with the process.”
According to Berenson, “You won’t leave them guessing as to your interest level, and you might just come out on top of another equally qualified candidate who rushed out without reiterating enthusiasm for the role.”
9. Prepare for the ‘Weakness’ Question
In deciding how to prepare for an interview and predicting the questions that might arise, determine what the questions are really asking. So when you’re asked to describe your greatest weakness, remember that the interviewer wants to see if you can demonstrate a commitment to personal growth.
According to marketing strategy consultant and professor at Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business, Dorie Clark, “The secret to acing this trick interview question is to give an honest answer and then explain what you’re doing to overcome that weakness.”
10. Talk About the Value You’ll Add to the Company
Here’s a not-so-secret secret: Most employers want to hear that you will assimilate quickly and effectively contribute to the company’s future. Address these issues, and you might just land the job.
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