Arrive Fully Prepared
By Elijah Thomas
Finding the perfect job opportunity is not the same thing as securing it.
Well-qualified applicants can fall into a trap of their own making if they become overconfident.
It’s important to arrive for an interview as fully prepared as possible, since all of your experience and knowledge will be for naught if you appear to be disorganized or incompetent. Instead, familiarize yourself with the job, the company and even your interviewer.
You’ll have the confidence to nail the interview, while underlining your best qualities.
DOING THE RESEARCH
Research should begin long before you sit down for an interview. In fact, you should do most of this legwork before you even apply. Obviously, you want to dig deeply into everything the job entails. But there’s more than a resume line to be learned. Also make sure you have a firm grasp on your prospective employer’s history, your interviewer’s contributions and the work culture, since all of these details can determine whether you are a good fit.
WHO YOU KNOW
Deepen any relationships you may already have at the company, either through personal connections, mutual friends or industry groups. People already employed there can provide valuable insight into how things actually work, while also perhaps providing a critical recommendation that could bolster your candidacy. Modern job searches may draw hundreds, perhaps even thousands of other applicants. Having a professional contact could pull your resume to the top of the pile.
PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE
Practice sessions will improve any applicant’s confidence, while also relieving related anxiety. Remember that interviews are their own form of public speaking. If you’re not comfortable in that environment, it’s even more important that you practice. The more you go through the mock interview process, the more comfortable you will ultimately be when it’s the real thing. Practice with someone else for best results, but even working with only a mirror will help refine your answers while strengthening your performance.
ASKING THE RIGHT THINGS
Your research doesn’t end at the door to the hiring manager’s office. Instead, continue learning about this prospective employer throughout your interview. Ask thoughtful, probing questions about things that go beyond the expected inquiries about pay. These questions will underscore the work you’ve already done familiarizing yourself with the company, while also showing that you’re engaged in the big picture.
