How To Prepare For A Job Interview

Job interviews are always nerve-wracking for me. I have sat on both sides of the table and no matter what, I will have the jitters going through the experience. It does not matter how many interviews you have aced; it is crucial to prepare and plan ahead for each one.

“If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail.”
– Benjamin Franklin

Dress Nice for An Interview

As a rule of thumb, you should always overdress for an interview. Unless they are specific with dressing casual, you should always try to be dressed up for the interview. A great example of this was an event I was invited to, the invitation stated to dress casually, matching the atmosphere of the company culture. I sure felt awkward walking in the door in jeans and a hoodie but not nearly as awkward as others who showed up wearing suits and ties.

Make sure you have showered, brushed, or combed your hair and have all the little one offs taken care of. You should wear a clean and pressed outfit that is not too over the top. You only get to make a first impression once! Check that your shoes, pants, or blouse do not have holes or noticeable stains.

What You Should Bring to An Interview

You should bring printed copies of your resume, 3-5 should be enough. Most of the time you will not need to pull them out, but it always is nice to be able to pull them out when a panel asks you for a copy.

Bring a list of references and be prepared to share them. Meaning, you should ask each reference ahead of time if you can use them as a reference. It is even courteous to ask again if you are using them again later in a few months or even years. Trust me, you do not want to blind side them by having a recruiter call them out of the blue asking about your work ethic.

A good idea is to have a list of questions that you can ask. It is so nice to have a few thought out and prepared ahead of time. More on that later!

I like to bring notes on the company, the industry, and people that I know will be interviewing me. Put down your recruiters contact information too. I typically don’t look at that information during the interview, but it gives me one last chance to refresh my mind before walking in.

The last thing I bring is a blank piece of paper and a pen. I am dreadful with names… I feel no shame jotting down an interviewer’s name or questions that I think of during the interview. Remember, you are interview the company just as much as they are interviewing you!

Before you Walk into The Interview

Have your outfit and a bag with your resumes, references, and papers packed the night before. If your car needs gas, get it the night before! You do not want to run out of gas on the way to an interview! As a rule of thumb, you should arrive 10-15 minutes early for an interview. It leaves a good impression that you mean business and builds in a buffer incase you struggle to find the correct location. Believe me… it is not fun to run from building to building because you cannot find the right place.

Potential Questions You Might be Asked –

Most interviews start out with this one question – Tell me about yourself. You should have a prepared answer to this question. It is often referred to as an elevator pitch and is asked at the start of most interviews. This should be a brief statement of 3 or 4 sentences about where you career path has taken you and how you got to this point.

Some other questions you might be asked are:

What led you to apply for this position?
What are your long-term career goals?
What strengths could you bring to this position?
What it your biggest weakness?
Besides money, what do you value or need most if you are to have job satisfaction?
Tell us about the worst conflict you have had with a co-worker. What was the result?
Tell us about a time when a manager asked you to do something outside the scope of your responsibility.

Questions That You Can Ask –

Typically, after the interviewer or interviewers have asked their questions, they will open the floor to you and what questions you have. You should always have questions! I like to write down a list of questions prior to showing up for the interview. I try to have a specific question for each person interviewing me as well. I look them up on LinkedIn and tailor a question about a career change or their experience with a specific company. I have no shame in pulling out my list to reference while I am in the interview. Remember, you are interviewing the company just as much as they are interviewing you.

Some questions that I have asked before are:

How would you describe the team’s culture?
How do you see this company evolving over the next five years?
What do you think is the most challenging aspect of the job?
Is this a new position? If not, why did the person before me leave this role?
What are your expectations for this role during the first 30 to 60 days?
Have I answered all your questions?

Questions That Should Not Be Asked –

There are specific subjects that should not be brought up during an interview. You should not be asked questions about:

What your nationality, race or ethnicity is
What religion your practice
Your age or how long you plan on working before retirement
If you have children or if you plan on having children
If you smoke, drink or do drugs
If you have any disabilities
If you have ever been arrested or have attendance issues
If you are in the national guard or reserves or were honorably discharged

These types of questions lead to potential discrimination and you do not need to answer them! You can simply say you do not want to talk about the personal aspects of your life but you are more than happy to discuss your professional experience. I once had an interview where I was asked if I had kids and if I had thick skin. The hiring manager went on to bad mouth a former employee and gave me very bad vibes about working for them. Needless to say, I did not take the position when they offered it.

Don’t be afraid to trust your gut and stand up for yourself. If a potential employer is asking you inappropriate questions during a job interview just think about what they are doing behind their closed doors every day. Don’t hesitate to reach out to employees or former employees and ask their opinions of the company and the position itself.

Send A Thank You Card –

Now that the hard part is over and you made it through the interview, now all you have to do is wait to hear back if you got the job! But, do not forget to send a thank you note or an email! You can send it the same day or maybe a day later. Take the opportunity to remind them that you are still interested and answer any questions you might have struggled with during the interview. It is a small touch that can make a big difference!

Resources:

https://www.themuse.com/advice/the-ultimate-interview-guide-30-prep-tips-for-job-interview-success

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