Negosentro.com | Every corporate job opening attracts, on average, 250 applicants. That’s a lot of competition!
Due to the steep competition you are up against, it’s imperative that you are fully prepared for the interview ahead. When it is time to prepare yourself for a job interview, there are a few tips you can use.
Keep reading to learn what you can do (or not do) to ensure you are ready for an upcoming interview. When you get it right, you have a much higher likelihood of landing the job you want.
Research the Company and Industry
It doesn’t matter if you are searching for job openings with a local warehouse in your community, or with a Fortune 500 company across the country – you need to get to know some background on the company and the industry.
The interviewer may ask you how you perceive the company’s position in the industry, or who the main competition for the firm is. If you haven’t done your research, answering these questions is going to be virtually impossible.
Clarify Your Selling Points and the Reasons You Want the Specific Job
You need to be prepared to go into every interview with several selling points in mind. One of the selling points to have ready is what makes you the right person for the job.
Be sure you have an example for each of your selling points, too. Be prepared to let the interviewer know why you want that particular job, including what you find interesting or what rewards it offers you.
If the interviewer doesn’t believe you are truly interested in the position, they won’t give you an offer. This is true regardless of how qualified you may be.
Anticipate any Reservations or Concerns the Interviewer May Have
There are always going to be more people applying for a job than there are positions open. As a result, interviewers are looking for easy ways to eliminate applicants.
Take some time to put yourself in their shoes.Consider why they may not want to hire you. Consider these questions from improb. Once you know what these things are, create a defense for each one. Make sure you give concrete examples of why a particular situation or issue does not apply to you.
Be Ready for Typical Interview Questions
All you have to do to find out what these are is do a quick online search or pick up a “how to interview” book. Here you will find all the typical questions asked at an interview.
All you have to do is find a list, and then prepare your answers. This will keep you from fumbling for them when the actual interview is going on.
Have Questions Ready for the Interviewer
It’s important for you to come to the interview with several intelligent questions for the person interviewing you. Make sure these questions demonstrate your company knowledge, as well as your serious intent.
Interviewers are always going to ask you if you have questions. Regardless of if you do, make sure that you have one or two ready to go.
If you don’t have any questions read, then the interviewer may not think you are really interested in working for the company.
Practice Makes Perfect
It’s one thing for you to have a mental answer prepared for a question. However, if you fail to practice your answer out loud, you may wind up sounding confused and garbled. This is true even if your thoughts are clear and concise.
Achieve Interview Success in the First Five Minutes
There are some studies that have shown an interviewer is going to make up their mind about a candidate within the first five minutes of the interview process. They then spend the rest of the interview time looking for confirmation about their decision.
The question is, what can you do in those initial five minutes to make it through the gate?
Make sure you come in with enthusiasm and energy. Also, express your appreciation for the interviewer’s time.
Try to start the process with a positive comment about the company, too. This can help you gain an edge over some of the other applicants.
Be Assertive and Take Responsibility for the Interview
In an effort to be polite, some potentially assertive candidates may become too passive during the interview process. However, politeness and etiquette aren’t the same things as passivity.
Your interview should be like any other conversation that you have. It is really a dance, where you and your partner (the interviewer in this case) are moving together, responding to each other. Don’t make the mistake to sit there and wait for the interviewer to ask you about some big award you received.
It is completely up to you to make sure the person interviewing you knows all of your key selling points before you walk out the door. If they don’t, that’s on you, not them.
Prepare Yourself for a Job Interview with Our Winning Tips
When it is time for you to prepare yourself for a job interview, using the tips and information here is a great starting point. By making sure you are fully prepared, you can stand out from the other applicants and make a great first impression.
Believe it or not, when you are prepared, you won’t be as nervous going into the interview, too. This is just another benefit of being fully prepared.
Our goal is to provide our readers with actionable, helpful information and resources they can really use. For those who are searching for more information, be sure to check out our other blogs. For example, we offer information on how to do payroll on your own.
