What To Do Before Your Interview

Interviews can be painstaking and quite stressful if you are not adequately prepared and ready for them. The following tips and preparation methods should help minimize that stress and ensure that you have a seamless interview! 

 1. Location, Location, Location! 

There is a difference between knowing where your interview will be held and knowing how to get there! Before your interview date, try to find out exactly where the interview is taking place. 

Some companies have multiple branches, so ask yourself the following questions: At which branch will the interview be held? Does the location have several buildings (i.e. is it an estate or complex?)? If so, which one is the correct one for your interview?

You should also note how long it takes to get to your destination. Always take into consideration the length of time it takes to get there. Consider all possible conditions and expect the worst on the day of your interview. This way you can budget your time appropriately. Always aim to arrive early! 

 2. Know Yourself! 

Be able to answer questions about yourself. Anticipate what an interviewer may want to know about you and have “prepared” responses. Know what you are looking for in a job and figure out why you think you are the best fit for the job you are being interviewed for. This will help guide your responses in the interview and also helps you market yourself as the “Best Fit” to the interviewer. 

Questions you can ask yourself are: Why do I want this job? What are my career goals? What do I want to do in 5 years? What are the details of the job description and how do I fit in with the requirements of the job?

Review the information on your resume in detail. Can you discuss everything that is there? You should be able to explain gaps in the timeline of your resume and answer any question that may be asked about it.

3. Conduct Extensive Research!

The more you know about the company you wish to work for, the less likely you are to fumble in an interview. Interviewers may ask you questions about their organization to derive how much interest you truly have in working for them. If you demonstrate a sound knowledge of their company it shows you have a genuine interest and may win you valuable points! 

Know the industry in which the company operates. Read trade publications and retail news to find out what has happened in the industry in the past; i.e. growth trends, economics, political influences, social influences, reputation issues and any other information you can find. This allows you to answer any strategic questions they may ask you and can further help you demonstrate your ability to make a positive contribution to the organization. 

4. Print an extra copy of your resume 

You should be able to freely hand out your résumé to your interviewer if requested. If you have multiple interviews in one day, you should have a sufficient number of résumés to give to all your interviewers.

 5. Prepare Your Own Questions! 

Interviewers almost always ask if there is anything you’d like to ask. Having nothing to ask can look as if you are not genuinely interested in the job. You want to show as much interest in the job and the business as possible. 

After you have conducted your research figure out what you may want to ask your interviewers. Some questions you can ask are: “What are some of the recent successes of the business?” “What would you say are areas for development in the organization?” “How do you plan on dealing with these shortcomings?” “What are the opportunities for training and development here?” “What are your intentions for this position?”.

These are some of the major ways you can prepare for your interview. Practicing and using these tips should help you get at least one step further to landing your dream job!

 For more information, check out Eve Anderson Recruitment Limited.

 Source: Eve Anderson Recruitment Limited