Preparing for an interview means making an effort to consider your objectives and abilities in relation to the position and the employer. To do this, you must research the company/ organization and carefully probe the expected job descriptions to figure out why you would be a good candidate for this particular profession. One way, to deliver effective interviews is to prepare. It doesn’t matter where you’re at in your career, whether you’re looking for a first job or a managerial job, or making a change in another domain – interviews can make you feel self-conscious and edgy.
While it’s all-natural, fortunately, there are techniques you can employ to get a bit more at ease, with the process, as well as perform better when you’re really interviewing. Here’s a little low-down on ways you can prepare for an interview:
Go through the job description
Throughout the prep process, you should use the job description posted by employers as a reference point. The work described is the list of abilities, characteristics, and backgrounds that the employer looks for in an ideal candidate. The more you can prove yourself to possess those attributes, the better your chances of selection are. The JD can also give you some idea of what, the questioning during the interview might revolve around.
Company Research
The major part of preparing for an interview is doing your homework well, about the company you are applying to. You must be aware of the current projects of the company you are considering working for. Which projects they are working on or who their customers are, go through their websites or any social media platform to collect more information. This will not only provide you with a lot of context for your interview, but it will also help you through the queries made by your interviewers during the conversation.
Reflect on the reason you want to apply.
Before the interview, you need to have a clear understanding of why you need the position and why you are qualified. You should be able to clearly communicate your interests and why you would be suitable for the job.
Put your questions together.
When reviewing the job description and the capabilities required for the position, you should be able to come up with specific questions on what more could be required from you. Summarize potential inquiries and what your responses would be, but do not insist on adapting to a prudential framework. The interview is an opportunity to show your insight and abilities as well as your personality. All of these facets together become the deciding factor for the recruiter, whether to hire you or not.
Get ready for what’s coming.
Interviews can be conducted face to face, or while we are dealing with the era of CoVID-19, interviews are being conducted through phone or video conference, via Zoom or Google Meet. Often, there is more than one round. The interview may involve preparing a presentation, at times too.
Practice body language and verbal skills.
It is important to develop positive and lasting chemistry during the interview. You can do this by talking in a strong and affirmative tone and using confident body language. Practice interviewing in front of your friends or family or in front of a mirror. Pay close attention to your smile, shake hands, and walk. During the interview, you must remain in a good posture. The power of good eye contact and a firm handshake, should not be underestimated.
Practice interviews
If you want to increase your confidence level and remain calm during your interview, you should practice, before the interview, as much as possible. It’s like talking in public. Repeated practice, will make you much more comfortable and help you give the right impression. You can practice with friends and family members too. This might make you realize, that an answer seems anomalous or does not convey what you want when it is spoken, which gives you the opportunity to refine your answers.
Pre-interview preparation.
The day before the interview is very stressful. Regardless, if you have done a lot of preparatory work, prepared your responses, printed out your resume, and planned your route; you might still be left with tons to do. To avoid any last moment crisis and reduce any additional stress on the day of the interview, you need to arrange things one night before. For example, prepare your dress, plan the route, print the documents, and review the notes
Have a good night’s sleep
A restful sleep improves your cognitive responses like critical thinking, and innovative capabilities, and stimulates your memory. These psychological tools can aid, you in offering the responses that speak best of your abilities.
Make sure you do what you can, the day before, to get the rest you need otherwise, you will spoil your impression in case, you end up yawning during the interview. Feeling refreshed and ready will also help you adapt to any unexpected turn of events.
Preparation for the Interview Day
Take a spare resume/cv, just in case.
Dress appropriately and professionally. (Males should wear pants and a formal shirt and females should be dressed smartly too, paying special attention, that their shoes don’t come off, as too casual).
Show up, 5-10 minutes earlier. For an on-site interview, give yourself a bit of time before the interview to explore the region, the office is in, and find the reception (if the office is large). Arriving 15 to 20 minutes early is always a good idea.
In the case of a virtual interview, be sure you fully understand how you will interact with the interviewer. Become familiar with the software, so that once the online interview actually starts, you are smoothly able to get on, video conferencing, instead of trying to figure out, how to use it then.
Keep your mind off things. Make sure you can completely concentrate on the discussion (wear headphones, if online) free from interruptions. Don’t be hesitant to ask for a break, if absolutely necessary.
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