Congrats! You landed a job interview. Now, how are you going to ace it and move on in the hiring process? Nerves can often get the best of you in the 15 minutes leading up to a job interview. This short time frame can be a good opportunity to review your notes, relax and put your best foot forward.
DO RESEARCH
Look up the company. Look up their competitors. Look at their website. Know the company backwards and forwards. Know their current role in the market, and their goals for the future. How can you help them achieve those goals? It doesn’t matter if the company has 10 employees or 10,000. Every company knows where they are now and where they want to be. Figure out how you can be the bridge that gets them there.
ROLE PLAY YOUR INTERVIEW
Have a friend (preferably one with a good interview track record) play the interviewer and run through an interview from start to finish. Then have your friend critique your performance. Finally, switch roles with you as the interviewer and your friend as the interviewee. Take note of how your friend answers interview questions. Now practice again. It will boost your confident level!
LOOK SMOOTH WHEN YOU ARRIVE FOR THE INTERVIEW
How you carry yourself is important. This means that you wear an outfit that needs minimal to no adjusting and tugging. Your outfit fits you well and you feel comfortable in it. Practice walking before your interview. Also, make sure the portfolio you have with you is neat and organized. And since you know exactly where you are going and left enough time to get to the interview, you will exude ease and confidence. Walk with purpose and direction. If you aren’t feeling all confident and smooth, act like you are. Repeat to yourself in your head that you are confident. And soon you will be.
BE PUNCTUAL
Arriving 15 to 20 minutes before your scheduled interview is good. If you arrive too early, the staff may feel like they need to entertain you or continue offering you coffee. They’re trying to make a good impression too. Granted, if they ask you to get there 15 minutes prior to your interview to fill out paperwork, get there 25 minutes early. So what should you do if you arrive early? Take some deep breaths, repeat a good saying to yourself “this interview is going to go really well”. Sounds goofy? It works.
KNOW WHAT TO ASK YOUR INTERVIEWERS
Remember, you are also interviewing the company. You want to make sure that it is a good fit for you. “What’s the salary for this position?” or “How much vacation time do we get?” You don’t have the job yet so don’t ask yet. Do consider asking about your work scope, the day to day responsibilities of the position, the company’s management style, or opportunities for growth within the company.
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