- Be Prepared - Research the company before the interview
- Talk to the People You Know
- Talk to Your Recruiter
- Know Your Interviewer
- Know
Your Resume - Review Potential Interviewer Questions
- Prepare Your Own Questions
- Know the Job Description
- Strengths and Weaknesses
- Dress Properly
- Common Reasons Interviews Fail
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Be Prepared – Research the company before the interview
There are many resources you can use to get a better understanding of the company’s products and markets. It is easier to do this with public companies, but you can find out information on almost any company these days.
You finally have a job interview, but are you prepared? Many people think they can 'wing it' at an interview without any preparation, but very few people can. There are thousands of articles on this, but the basic points are generally the sameClick To TweetThere is an excellent chance that the company has a listing on LinkedIn. Take a look and find out all you can. You will most certainly find current and former employees on LinkedIn who may be linked to someone you know (see below).
If you're serious about taking your career to the next level, you need to be on LinkedIn®. In LinkedIn In 30 Minutes, author Angela Rose will show you how to make a rock-solid LinkedIn profile and expand your network.
Talk to the People You Know
Maybe you know someone (or know someone who knows someone) who currently works at the company (or maybe worked there at some point). Leverage LinkedIn for this as well.
Talk to Your Recruiter
Recruiters want you to get the job, talk to them about your background and what you may need to know on the interview.
Know Your Interviewer
Knowing something about who is interviewing you would be a plus. Take a look at their work history, schools, majors, etc. (LinkedIn is a great resource for this). This will help you find some common areas of interest as well as get a better understanding of the individual.
Know Your Resume
Sounds basic, but make sure you know everything on
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Review Potential Interviewer Questions
look at the most common (and not so common) questions asked by interviewers and know how to answer the questions. There are a number of interview question lists you can review to get an idea as to what to expect. Tough questions like “What are your salary requirements” and “Why did you leave your last job”.
Prepare Your Own Questions
Be prepared to ask a range of questions during the interview. Have a comprehensive list in case the interviewer answers some of your questions before you’ve had the chance to ask some of them. You will want a wide range of interview topic questions, such as company culture, how success is measured, challenges is it a new role or existing, etc. Take a look at 10 Questions to Ask at an Interview.
No matter how good you look, how much research you've done, or how perfectly your qualifications match the job description, if you're not prepared with great answers to the toughest interview questions, you won't get the job.
Know the Job Description
Study the job description and be prepared to convince the interviewer why you are the perfect person for the job. Make sure you understand all aspects (there is nothing worse than not fully knowing the details of the job for which you are being interviewed.
Strengths and Weaknesses
Know what you are good at (and not good at) and be prepared to discuss them. Prepare to speak to those strengths and experiences which align with the job description.
Dress Properly
Generally speaking, you can’t go wrong with proper business attire. This may not be the case all of the time (such as Internet startups), so use your judgment based on the industry, position, and company.
The Job Interview Style Guide is a conversational step-by-step manual for men and women who want to learn how to dress for an interview and automatically attract employers in a way that will make them stand out.
Common Reasons Interviews Fail
You think you’ve done everything right but you are just not getting any job offers. The following list includes some of the most common reasons people fail in an interview:
- Failure to read background material on interview techniques
- Not knowing the answers to common
interview questions - Not dressing properly
- Chewing gum during the interview
- Arriving late (or arriving too early)
- Not knowing the details of their own resume
- Discussing compensation requirements without being asked the question
- Saying that you are “rushed for time”
- Displaying a negative attitude or generally being negative about your current employee
- Vague interview answers
- Wearing too much perfume or aftershave
- Forgetting the name of the interviewer
- Lying about your skills or experience
- Lying about your education
- Yawning (get plenty of sleep)
- Not making eye contact or making too much
