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 Perhaps the biggest mistake made by some interviewees is going to an interview unprepared. If you're looking for a job, it is in your best interests to do everything possible to maximize your chances of being offered a job and that includes preparing for a job interview.
Job Interview Overview
Let's fact it, the questions that you're asked during an interview and the exchange of information that takes place is not how we normally communicate with others. It is a structured and formal process because of the very compressed time period in which job interviews take place.
It's also a very important process to both the interviewer and the job applicant because a very important decision takes place following an interview - whether or not to make an offer of employment to an applicant. Overall, the entire process is suboptimal, but it's the best we have right now. In the end, however, we still come to the same conclusion - properly preparing for an interview can maximize your chances of being offered a job.
But because of the "unnatural" way in which a job interview is conducted, interviewing is a skill we need to develop. The more we practice this skill outside of an actual job interview, the better our chances of "nailing" our responses during an interview.
Interview Preparation Steps
We've outlined six steps you should take to prepare for a job interview. Some of these steps - such as practicing interview questions and answers - you can take immediately. For others - such as researching the company - you can wait until you're closer to an actual interview.
Practicing Interview Questions and Answers
You don't need to wait until you've got an interview scheduled to start practicing answering and asking interview questions. We've already put together several guides in this area including:
In those guides you'll find examples of interview questions as well as techniques you can use and practice. Preparing your responses to interview questions ahead of time will help you stay relaxed when you're answering interview questions in front of an interview team.
Self Assessments
Whenever you're contemplating change, it's always a good idea to step back and spend some time doing some deep reflection. Try to objectively examine your skills and accomplishments as an employee and see if they really match up against your long term career plans.
If you've got a gap in a skill or knowledge area, now is as good a time as any to close that gap. There are plenty of self-help and self assessment tools out there as well as 360 degree feedback mechanisms. Something as simple as a Myers-Brigg type indicator can help you gain valuable insight into your makeup as a human being and a worker.
Updating a Resume
While you're doing your self assessment and reflecting on all your accomplishments, it's probably a good idea to update your resume. If you haven't updated your resume in a long time, you might want to take a look at some of our targeted information on resume writing.
If you take anything away from those articles, there are two things we'd like to stress here. The first is to make sure you're using the appropriate resume format; one that will highlight your accomplishments and compliment your career path. The second is that you make sure that your resume is free of grammatical and spelling errors.
Write it, proof read it, and then share your resume with a trusted friend. Make sure you've found all the typos and mistakes before a hiring manager ever sees it.
Research the Company
Before you go on any job interview, make sure you've gathered and read through as much information as possible about a new employer. While this research will certainly get you through the dreaded "Tell me what you know about our company?" interview question, it will also help you to relax during the interview.
You've got enough to learn and listen to during an interview, so if you've already got a good background in the company itself, that's one less thing to worry about. The Internet makes researching companies pretty easy.
You can visit a company's website for most of the information you'll need, but don't forget to take a look at a financial website such as Yahoo Finance to learn a bit more about their industry and competitors. If you think that knowing about a company itself is impressive, knowing a bit about competitors and the industry itself goes even further.
Part of your research should also include knowing where the interview is located. Make sure you know where you're going and plan to arrive 20 minutes before the scheduled interview time. Even if you have to wait in the car, make sure you're entering their building exactly 10 minutes early.
Dressing for an Interview
Now some of you might be looking at this particular topic and dismissing it as non-sense. Our response is simply this - never underestimate the power of first impressions. First impressions on job interviews usually happen as you walk through a door and the interview team looks at how you're dressed. We've got an entire topic dedicated to Dressing for an Interview, but again here are some basic tips.
Try to understand what the corporate culture is at the company you'll be visiting and combine that information with the type of position you're applying for with that company. When you're all done understanding that information it comes down to this - you need to dress for the part. Also pay attention to details, especially your shoes. Another rule to remember is this: Simple is better than flashy when it comes to jewelry.
Most job interviewers make the mistake of thinking no one will notice the small details. People do, especially when it's their job to assess your fit as a future employee in their department.
Preparing Materials to Take on an Interview
The final item in our six step process is a list of materials you should bring with you and / or gather at the interview. At the top of the list should be any background materials you've prepared such as fresh copies of your resume or other documents you'd want to share during an interview. You'll also want to bring a pad of paper to take notes (sparingly) and a nice looking pen (a detail).
Make sure you get business cards from everyone you meet during the interview. That makes it easier to address the thank you letters after the interview is over. And that brings up our final recommendation.
Sending thank you letters is a simple way to leave a final good impression. Even if you don't think the fit is good, make sure you send a thank you to everyone for the time they took out of their busy schedules to meet with you. You never know if they're going to call you back for a job that might be a better fit.
About the Author - Preparing for a Job Interview
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