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Landing the Job

Landing the Job

The Interview: Before

YOU'VE GOT THE CALL!! and..they want to see you for an interview. :|  Don't freak out!

A great interview is essential to successfully attaining your job of choice. The employer has to be sure you're a right fit for the job, the work atmosphere and the current team.

Check out these tips to work on before even putting out your hand for that tell-tale shake!

Do Your Homework

You wouldn't go into a test without studying up, so why would you do the same with an interview? Most companies have websites describing their mission statement and current initiatives. Read up on everything and anything about the company. Start to get familiar with the image they are trying to promote. Another golden ticket lies within the job description or offer in which you first sent your resume in for. These descriptions can give great insight into the type of person or experience they're looking for.

Here's your Homework Checklist...
  • Read up on the Company or Organization
  • Review the job description
  • Try to get a sense of their business, how they work
  • Look for things you have extra questions on, write it down, we'll get to this in a bit!
Get in Touch

Okay, not literally in touch yet, but give them a shout to let them know you're interested in the interview. This gives you the opportunity to ask for extra details on your specific job, or just let them know how eager you are to meet with them. Either way, you are opening the doors of communication, which is always a good thing to get started early.

Dress for Success

Photo 3015It doesn't matter if you're interviewing for an entry level job or a high up position, what you wear to the interview can say a lot about you. Most of the time you should try to dress it up, to give off the vibe that you are professional, clean-cut and ready for the interview and future opportunities with their company. Depending on the job you're going for, what you pick to wear may change. A small rule of thumb to think about is that you should be slightly dressier or at the same level of wardrobe choice as your interviewer. Whatever you choose to wear, I would suggest letting your personality shine through a little; whether it be through accessories, colour etc. These little things will not only make you stand out in the crowd, but will boost confidence in yourself.

Go Over Questions

Here's a few questions to think about before the interview...

  • What do you know about ____________ company?
  • What past experiences do you have that can help you in this new job?
  • Why do you want this job?
  • What major problems or challenges have come across in your past work experience?
  • Tell us about yourself
Start Thinking

Now that you've got some questions in mind, brainstorm or write down your experiences that can connect to these questions. The last thing you want to do is get in there and not know what to say, or worse, lie about them. You want to show them your expertise and experience to SHOW them that you know how toPhoto 3014 do well at this job.

Prep it Up

Whether you sing in the shower, chat on the phone or spend time with friends, these are all perfect opportunities to brush up on what you're going to be saying when you get to the interview. Why not rehearse your intro and answers to questions with the bottle of shampoo as your microphone. You could have an impromptu interview celebrity style right in your shower! If you like to chat with friends, turn a conversation into a quick phone interview and have your buddy quip off some questions to you. It will get you thinking about the best answers to provide. Next time you hang out with a friend, why not ask them to ask you a few questions to get you in the interview mode? I'm sure they all want you to do well and most would be happy to help out.

Be Prepared

Here's a list of things you don't want to forget...
  • an extra copy or two of your resume
  • a clipboard or something to hold some note paper in
  • note paper
  • two working pens
  • reference letters (optional)
  • examples of past work, portfolio of accomplishments (optional)

Photo 3016The Big Entrance

First things first. Being on time for an interview means being there AT LEAST 15 minutes beforehand. This not only allows you to get a sense of where you'll be having the interview, but also allows you to calm your nerves and prepare mentally. Plus, it gives the impression to the employer that you are punctual and prepared.

You want to have the best impression as you can before even talking to your potential employer in person. You've got your best clothes on, polished shoes, brushed your hair and teeth. But wait, we're forgetting something here. A SMILE. Nothing says you're interested more than actually being pleasant! Being pleasant also means being polite. NEVER walk into an interview chewing gum, or talking on your cellphone. Your actions should reflect a polite demeanor at all times, before, during and after the interview.

 Now you're ready. 15 minutes early, prepared, relaxed and ready to start up that important conversation!

makattack98
  • Authority 187
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makattack98 said:

Wow! Awesome lesson. I will definitely have to use some of this next time I head for the big job.

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  • Posted about 1 month ago.
oLahav
  • Authority 539
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oLahav said:

Great lesson, all of these tips are valid and help from my personal experience.

I’ve got another important tip- know your resume! Memorize it, know what’s in it. And if you use more than one resume, remember which one you used to apply for which job… I once an awful interview because it looked like I had no idea what was in my resume, and the interviewer thought I made everything up. Turned out I was thinking about the wrong resume! Bad stuff…

The most important thing to do on an interview, according to my experience, is act. You don’t have to know the company top to bottom, just act as if you do. Act confident and friendly and you’ll get whatever job you want (well, not EVERY job, but the ones you apply for and have the necessary credentials for).

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  • Posted about 1 month ago.
acrosstheuniverse
  • Authority 526
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acrosstheuniverse said in response to:
oLahav
oLahav’s post:
Citation Body

Great lesson, all of these tips are valid and help from my personal experience.

I’ve got another important tip- know your resume! Memorize it, know what’s in it. And if you use more than one resume, remember which one you used to apply for which job… I once an awful interview because it looked like I had no idea what was in my resume, and the interviewer thought I made everything up. Turned out I was thinking about the wrong resume! Bad stuff…

The most important thing to do on an interview, according to my experience, is act. You don’t have to know the company top to bottom, just act as if you do. Act confident and friendly and you’ll get whatever job you want (well, not EVERY job, but the ones you apply for and have the necessary credentials for).

Acting may work, but it can get tricky. If it’s based on how much you know about the company, you can try to expand on what you may know, or even ask questions beforehand or during to learn more.

Just going a step further, it is important to tell at as it is in the interview. If you lie about your experiences. you could get yourself in a muddle while answering a question based on your credentials. Or worse, if you’ve gotten the job and they’ve given you a task you “know” how to do but really don’t, that could be a problem – both for you and your employer.

I completely agree with you in that you should know your resume inside and out, because really, it just means knowing your experience and being able to show this to the interviewer.

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  • Posted about 1 month ago.
oLahav
  • Authority 539
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oLahav said:

I wasn’t just talking about acting like you know the company, act the part of a model employee. Be nice and polite, don’t tell your interviewer she’s “hot” or wear tight leather pants. Actually, nobody should ever wear tight leather pants.

I guess it doesn’t fit much into the “before”... but if you’re like me, an actor-type, you should prep yourself to enter the role of a model employee. Sure, you’ll be a bit of a geek, but if it gets you the job it’s ok.

Of course, you should never lie about your abilities, and don’t overact and come out as someone you’re not, that will hurt both you and the employer, you’re absolutely right about that.

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  • Posted about 1 month ago.
kaitomono
  • Authority 251
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kaitomono said:

Wonderful lesson, I used to sit on hiring panels where I helped create questions, set up tests for interviewees, interviewed applicants, assessed resumes and candidates, shortlisted and notified successful candidates.

As an interviewer on the other side of the desk, a few comments from that prospective on the interview.

1/ Try not to focus so much on yourself, see if you can put yourself in the interviewers shoes. The interviewer is really hoping you will do well as they really do want to find a good employee.

2/ Realize that the person, or persons, interviewing you may also be nervous. Not so much if it is a panel of two or three people, but some managers are not comfortable with the decision making that comes with hiring someone.

This is especially true if you are applying for a position in a young company that is suddenly experiencing a burst of expansion. The interviewer may not be experienced at interviewing someone.

It will be up to you to make sure you present yourself as a person who is confident. If you sense the interviewer is not asking the right questions or they don’t seem focused, make sure you expand on your answers to cover all the points you feel are important.

The people that were most successful were those who projected confidence in their abilities, took time to think of their answer before answering a question and who seemed enthusiastic without being overly excited or phony.

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  • Posted 22 days ago.
acrosstheuniverse
  • Authority 526
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acrosstheuniverse said:

Thank you Kaitomono! These are amazing tips! I completely agree with you that confidence = success. I find that when you’re nervous, you tend to shorten your answers and come across as lacking of ability and possible previous experience. You have to be aware that an employer wants to see that you fit in with the company environment and culture. Usually, a person who is genuine and determined to be present in the interview shows them that this behaviour will reflect at the workplace.

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  • Posted 22 days ago.
chelseaFC
  • Authority 128
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chelseaFC said:

Great stuff here,

Try to have some solid questions that will show others you know what your asking. Always keep folks engaged as much as you can. Let them do talking…

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  • Posted 4 days ago.
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