Tips for a Great Job Interview - Part 1

Job interviews tend to be nerve-racking for even the most confident of people, but they don’t have to be as stressful as we expect. The key to beating the anxiety is to be prepared, which means research, practice, and planning. From the company you want to work for, to the outfit you’re going to wear, to what you want to tell them about yourself, let’s talk about preparing for a great job interview.

Research, Question Prep, and Mock Interviews

One of the most important things you can do before an interview is to research the company (and the position!) you’re interviewing for. This means familiarizing yourself with their history, current and future projects, and any other useful information you can find. Think about how you could have or would be able to contribute to the work they do. What are your goals, not only at their company, but in your career in general? What can you offer them and what can they offer you?

These are just some of the questions commonly asked in job interviews. Look for more online and make a list of them, then consider how you would respond. Practice answering these questions in the mirror, then have a friend or a family member do a mock interview with you. Practicing like this is a great way to get comfortable with answering questions on the spot, without having to improvise from scratch. A good idea is to record yourself so that you can see what you might want to work on, like speaking slower or more clearly, not looking at your lap all the time, or crossing your arms and legs. If you want to go the extra mile, you can always look up how to emulate positive body language on the internet.

Presenting Yourself

First impressions are important, and the first thing the interviewer will learn about you is how you dress during a job interview. The second thing is how you shake someone’s hand – firm handshakes are important, people! But I digress. Obviously, dress code depends on what kind of company and position you’re interviewing for, and doing some research on the company’s own dress code is a good idea, but there are some basics you can adhere to. For example, dress conservatively. Steer clear of flamboyant colours and bold fashion statements. Unless you’re going to work in fashion or something along those lines, stick to more neutral clothing that’s not distracting. The focus is supposed to be on your skills and how you fit the job description, not on your fondness for lime green blazers or bright floral patterns (unless that’s relevant to the job, of course).

In Part 2 we’ll continue with the value of focusing on the details, and the do’s and the don’ts to keep in mind when being interviewed.

 

 

 

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