5 Things to Prep for Your Next Interview
- Amber Gonser
- Nov 10, 2016
- 4 min read
Preparing for an interview can be very stressful, perhaps even more stressful than the actual interview. Often we allow our worries about the interview to cause more stress than the event itself. There are a few things you can do to prepare that may help you ease your interview jitters.
Step 1 Know Thy Enemy: People usually feel more comfortable in situations in which they have some background knowledge. Yes, kids this means it’s time to do your homework. You have probably already done some preliminary research before you wrote your cover letter, for instance, but now it’s time to dig deep. If you know the identity of your interviewer you can use that info to Google them, check-out their Facebook page, LinkedIn page, etc. Research the company on www.glassdoor.com for info on their hiring practices and what it may be like to work for them, go to the company website and read their ethics statement. Google the company and see if their name pops up in any recent headlines. Take notes, write down the relevant info and how it may be of use to you in your interview. Write down any appropriate questions you may have after conducting your research that you would like to ask the interviewer.
Step 2 Know thyself: No one knows you better than you know yourself, the problem is we aren't always honest with ourselves and this is something we need to acknowledge and actively fight against during interview prep. We know our strong points and we also know the things we need to work on. What may be a bit more difficult for us to see are some of our sub-conscious behaviors like biting our nails, crossing our legs and bouncing our feet, an over-abundance of the word ‘like’ or ‘umm’ in our speech. These things are the ones that often escape our notice and they can be very powerful employment repellents. This is where a brutally honest friend or relative can come in handy. Try on your interview attire and run a few practice interviews with a close friend and ask them to critique your behavior.
Step 3 Know thy Weaponry: This is the time to go over questions you are most likely to be asked in an interview. The Internet is filled with lists of these questions, do a quick search for your industry or even the job title you will be interviewing for. Make sure you have good answers to these questions and practice them so they don’t sound rehearsed. This a good time to print out extra copies of your resume/cover letter and have them in folders ready to go, you don’t want to find out that your printer is out of ink 20 min. before you leave for your interview.
Step 4 Know Thy Battlefield: Make sure you know where you will be going for your interview. Check google maps and printout the directions if you need to. Check on line for any road work that maybe going on in the area that could affect your route. If you have the time and the gas, drive-by the location before your interview to check the area out; is parking available close to the building? What will traffic be like at the time of your interview? If you are driving, make sure you have enough gas in the tank and check your tires for any damage a few days before your interview if you can. When estimating time of arrival, round up. You would rather get there early than late.
Step 5 Know Thy Image: Give yourself a good once-over in a full-length mirror before you head out for your interview. Check your hair and make-up (ladies: less is more in this regard), check your outfit to make sure you look neat and tidy. You should also check your personal hygiene: you should have showered the day of (if possible), check your breath, remember to apply deodorant and use any perfumes or colognes sparingly. If you’re a smoker keep your interview outfit in a plastic bag until D-day and refrain from lighting up until after your interview. Whatever you do, don’t attempt to cover cigarette smoke with perfumes or heavy scented lotions or sprays; this does not work. Non-smokers are more sensitive to tobacco smells and they will smell the smoke on you any way. Heavy perfume will only serve to aggravate the situation.
Feeling at ease in any situation is directly related to feeling in control. For most of us an interview is a time where we don’t exactly feel in control of the outcome, but that couldn't be further from the truth. Although it is true that people are people, each made up of their own unique bias’s and preconceived notions but for the most part, interviewers work hard to objectively choose candidates. This means that what you do or say in the interview will determine its outcome, this puts the control in your hands and you in the driver’s seat. Taking some extra time to make these preparations can go a long way to helping us regain control and put our best-feet forward.