Job interviews are the first and foremost important step towards getting your dream job. However, people tend to neglect that fact and go to job interviews without giving it any thought. As a part of my job, I help individuals prepare for job interviews. After a while, I realized that I’ve been helping them with what to do before and during the job interview rather than focusing on the language use. There are 5 essential things you should take into account in order to prepare yourself for a job interview.
1. Research the company
We all know that you are an expert when it comes to your job, and you can explain every aspect of it in detail, but what about the company you’re applying to? You should spare some time to learn about the company such as their goals, achievements, employees, partnerships, products, history, etc.. You should show interest in the company and its business, or why would they take interest in you? You want them to feel as if you were the missing piece of their company. With the knowledge you’ve obtained about their company, you can show that your ideas and theirs align, and you’ll fit in perfectly.
2. Visualize the interview
To get your dream job, you should first dream, right? Think outside the box, and gather questions that they might ask you unrelated to your job, your current company, your work experience, etc.. This information is already written on your CV, you’ve already provided the answers to those questions. But what are your strong points? Your weak points? Your most recent difficulty that you have managed to overcome? Your most recent achievement that can be described with figures? Questions like these will allow the employer to learn the most important aspect of you; your personality. That’s not written on anything, and that’s what they want to learn. That’s why they do the job interview!
3. Do NOT be late
I can’t emphasize this one enough. Arriving 15 minutes early is always better than 15 minutes late. Do not try to arrive on time, try to arrive early. With that extra 15 minutes, you can have a chat with the front desk, the reception, or whoever you have in front of you, and relieve your stress. Having a casual chat minutes before the interview will help you a lot; furthermore, it’ll create a friendlier atmosphere that you definitely need to break the ice.
4. Obey the interview ethics
The term ‘interview ethic’ may not exist universally but it fits nicely with what I’m about to tell you. First, always dress appropriately. They’re going to see you for the first time, and what you wear is what you will perceive about you. Second, always be respectful. The interviewer might be older or younger, more experienced or inexperienced than you; nevertheless, you should treat him or her as your equal and behave appropriately. Third, watch your language. Stay away from slang expressions and speak in a polite manner. No one wants to work with a rude person, would you? And lastly, do not be late to the interview. I’ve covered this one above; however, it’s so important that it deserves the reminder. Furthermore, don’t bring food, children, or anything like these to the interview either. I know that it sounds ridiculous to mention this, but there are a number of people that bring these to interviews.
5. Follow-up the interview
The most common thing you’re going to hear afterward of a job interview is that they’ll call you back. Well, that might be true for most job interviews but there is nothing wrong with calling them or sending them an email about the interview. However, there are some points you should keep in mind while doing so. First, do not beg for the job. You’re contacting them for feedback that might be useful in the future job interviews. Second, ask about their well-being. You’ve just met a new person in your life, maybe even a new friend. Even if you don’t get this job, nothing is holding you back from getting the next one if you keep in touch. Finally, do not let them forget about you. Show them that you’re not just an another candidate for this job but an enthusiastic individual who is greatly interested in both the job and the company.
BONUS : Smile!
Be enthusiastic, and smile during the job interview. Keeping a positive and friendly atmosphere helps relieve the stress; therefore, it enables the interviewer to ask follow-up questions with ease and it also allows you to ask some questions back at them. The more they get to know about you, the better your chances of getting the job. Being happy never hurts, right?