Interview preparation…we all know about it, but do you actually do it? If you don’t here's why you should.
Interviews are all about preparation, ‘prepare for the worse and hope for the best’ type of situation and good preparation is the essential key to a successful interview. By being prepared will not only make you appear cool, calm and collected but the right preparation could potentially set you apart from your rival interviewees.
So, here’s a small preparation checklist that will help you get through your interview with ease.
Know Your Application
It’s a mistake to go into an interview unsure of what the actual job is, however it can happen if you have multiple interviews. The best way to avoid this happening is to re-read the job description as it’s the best way to formulate ideas as to what the interviewer may ask you during the interview, so you can be prepared when answering them.
Research The Company
The best way to show your interview preparation and keenness to the interviewer is to research the company. You should always have at the very least had a look at the company website to familiarise yourself with their history and what they do. As you can guarantee they will ask in some form what you know about the company.
A quick google of the company can also come in handy, as you can find out about recent press coverage or noteworthy achievements, which can give YOU questions to ask the interviewers.
Interviewers love interviewees to have a brief amount of knowledge about them and their company as it is showing that you’ve taken the time to learn about them and that you care about the interview.
Plan Your Journey
Planning a journey seems a simple enough task. However, you would be wrong! You’d be shocked how many people leave this to the last minute causing them to turn up late. As recruiters, we see this all the time and to us and our clients, it’s one of the very worst interview sins.
Make sure you know where you’re going, how to get there and then leave plenty of time to make the trip. You should at least get to the interview location for a minimum of 10 minutes early. It also doesn’t hurt to have a backup plan should anything unexpected happen.
Practice Your Interview Questions
The best way to prevent being caught off-guard on the day is to TRY and practice answers to common questions every interviewer asks. The last thing you want is to start panicking while trying to come up with answers.
Confidence is key with this one, so try practising either by yourself or get a friend to quiz you.
Dressing To Impress
While you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, most interviewers will judge you by your appearance. You’d be surprised how much it can affect your chances. Almost all interviewers will instantly dismiss you as a potential employee should you turn up with the wrong appearance no matter what you say during the interview.