Jobs do not tend to be handed to us on a silver platter. Although I haven’t had too many job interviews, I have been able to learn a lot from the handful that I have had. For some people, job interviews are one of the scariest things they will ever have to do for the job. These tips could help you to prepare for your interview – and even to enjoy the interviewing process.
1) Do your research. Know about the company, know about the people who work for it, and know about their mission statement. You don’t have to memorize it all, but you should be able to have a good grasp of what the business does and the kind of people who work there. When you have an awareness of what kind of background the employees have, you can also use this to your advantage: if you notice that all of the employees have Bachelor of Science degrees but you have a Bachelor of Arts degree, play up your strengths as a creative individual with excellent communication skills, for example (not that I’m saying that those with a Bachelor of Science degree aren’t as creative or as proficient with communicating – but a Bachelor of Arts is more likely to have to hone those skills in a university setting).
2) Know where and when the interview is. Don’t necessarily assume the interview will be held at the place where you would be working. Figure out how you will get to the interview ahead of time so that you have an idea of how long it will take. Make sure that you check your phone and e-mail for messages the morning of the interview, just in case something unexpected has arisen and your interviewer is calling to change the time. Also find out who will be interviewing you, and how many people will be on the interview board. It may come as quite a shock if you are expecting to be interviewed by one person, only to learn upon your arrival that there are three people waiting for you!
3) Prepare for all kinds of different questions. Look up on the Internet for frequently asked interview questions. Think of several different scenarios in which you have been put in, and examine how you reacted to these situations in the past. Imagine potential obstacles you might come across in the job you are interviewing for, and work out how you will overcome them. Know what salary range you will be willing to take the job for.
4) Expect at least one question in which you will not know the answer. In one interview, I was asked if I prefer red or white wine, and what kind of tree I would be if I could be a tree. In another interview, I was asked for my opinion on a local news story. Yet another interview focused on questions about giving examples of situations in which I demonstrated leadership skills. All of these questions threw me for a loop. There’s going to be something unexpected, no matter how prepared you are. Relax and take a moment to think about the question if you don’t have an answer right away.
5) Know your strengths and weaknesses. Be able to pinpoint what you do well and what you can improve on, and be proactive to determine how you can improve on weaknesses (or, even better, how you have already been able to turn your weakness into a strength). The better you know yourself, the better you will be able to present yourself to your interviewer.
Check back next week for Job Interview Tips, Part Two: The Interview.