1) Conduct company research.
It is important that you conduct in depth company research before an interview. If you do not have a strong response to the question: “What do you know about our company? “there is no chance that they will hire you. In order to prepare for this question go to the company website and learn about the company’s services, mission, products and senior executives. Ask your network what they know about this company. Network with current employees of this company on LinkedIn to get up to date information about the company’s culture and how it operates. Glassdoor is a good site to utilize to learn more about the company’s culture and also to find out the current employees perception of this company.
2) Prepare a list of possible questions that can be asked on interviews and be ready to answer them in detail.
In order to interview effectively it is crucial that you give complete answers to every question that you are asked. Make sure that you have 2-3 talking points for each interview question.
Typical interview questions include the following:
1) Tell me about yourself?
2) Why should I hire you for this position?
3) What are your strengths?
4) What are your weaknesses?
5) Why do you want to work for this company?
6) What are your career goals?
7) Why are you leaving your current position?
8) What is your salary requirement?
Behavioral Questions
9) How do you handle pressure?
10) Give me an example of how you handle multiple assignments under time constraints?
11) How do you handle difficult clients?
12 ) How do you handle corrective criticism from your manager?
For behavioral questions always give example of how you have handled certain situations at work.
3) Have questions ready to ask the interviewer.
The following are questions that can be asked to interviewers:
1)Describe the ideal candidate for this position?
2)Six months from now what would you want to say about the person you hired for this position?
3) What is the history of this position?
4) Describe the corporate culture of this company?
5) What is your management style?
6) What is the time frame for you hiring for this position?
4) Practice interviewing
It is advisable that you set up a mock interview with a professional, preferably a career coach or career counselor. The mock interview will give you the chance to get practice answering interview questions that you will be asked on an interview. During this mock interview you can be asked the questions that you can expect on the interview. This will help you get ready for any upcoming interview by giving you feedback on how you are answering the questions. The career coach or career counselor can also give you feedback on your body language which is a very important part of your performance on the interview.
Sometimes it is helpful to have multiple mock interviews so that you can improve how you answer interview questions. Ask for help it can make all the difference of turning an interview into a job offer.
5) Follow up after an interview
It is extremely important to send a follow up email to the human resources professional or manager after an interview. In this email you should make a strong argument why you are the ideal candidate for this position that you are applying for. Since you are competing with other candidates for this position it is important that you are direct and confident about the experience, education, skills and personality that you have to outshine your competition. This email should be sent within 24 hours of your interview.This follow up is a key factor whether you are hired or not. Remember this is your chance to show why a company should hire you over others.
Wishing you all the best in your next interview!!