How To Prepare For An Interview

Going to interviews is an integral part of growing up. As college students, it is not uncommon for most of us to seek internships or jobs in order to equip ourselves with beneficial experiences … and maybe some moolah as well. This experience we gain from either regular jobs or internships will eventually help us grow in ways that we will enable us to handle almost any situation in our future careers. However, in order to take advantage of the experiences that help you grow, you will need to get the position first. And in order to get the position, you need to interview in such a way that makes you stand out against all of the other interviewees and makes it obvious that you are the perfect person for the job. Here are a few tips on interviewing well. 

1. Know the Company for Which You Are Interviewing.

Take time study the business with which you are interviewing for several days to a week before your interview. It is extremely important to know all about the company before you go barging into their office claiming that you are the most qualified candidate for the position. Go through their website and read the content under all of the tabs that are listed. If it is available, make sure you take a look at their list of executive employees. You never know when an interviewer might ask what impresses you about their CEO. Lastly, make sure you look at the recent news of the company. What has the media been saying about them? How have they responded to certain issues in their industry? What do you admire about their responses to the said issues? These are pieces of information you need to know before entering the interview room. 

2. Dress Well.

This might seem obvious, but not everybody gets it. Whether you are interviewing for a position at a restaurant or for an internship with a Fortune 500 company, you need to look sharp. A suit for both girls and boys is absolutely necessary, especially for internships. Recruiters look highly upon potential candidates who make a good impression by dressing well for the interview. 

3. Use the STAR Interview Technique.

Sometimes interviewers will ask difficult questions that you may not have an answer to right off the top of your head. They may ask you to name a time when you’ve faced a challenge with time management or a time when you worked in a group but the chemistry between group members was not cohesive. So make sure you think about what you are going to say before you start blurting things out. That way, you will not have to backtrack or fumble around to find the point you are trying to make because you failed to think through your answer. The STAR interview method stands for Situation, Task, Action and Results. When answering a question, state the Situation so the interviewer has background info. Then tell them about the Task at hand or the challenge you were trying to resolve. Next, tell them the Action you took to resolve the challenge. Lastly, explain to them the Results of the situation and how your action led to these results. Also, it is wise to prepare some answers to typical interview questions before going to your interview. Practice them at home, and then if your interviewer does ask you some of those questions, you will be prepared with a ready-made response. 

4. Have Good Etiquette. 

Make sure you are not slouching in your chair while you answer the questions. Sit up straight and answer each question firmly. Do not doubt yourself or your answers because that only leads the interviewers to believe that you may not be confident in your own skills and strengths. Use your hands when you talk. Obviously, do not flail them all over the place, but put emphasis on certain parts of your explanations by using your hands. This shows that you are energetic and eager for the job. Also, make sure to maintain eye contact. Interviewers appreciate candidates who look them straight in the eyes, rather than shying away. This also proves that you have confidence in yourself, and that you are ready for the job. 

5. Make Sure You Thank Them.

The person interviewing you took time out of his or her day to sit down and talk with you. Make sure that person knows that you appreciate their time and effort. Preferably within hours after the interview, send an email thanking them for their time and telling them that you are excited and grateful to be a possible candidate for the position. Then, it is also a good idea to send a thank you card in addition to the email. Make the card personal too. Mention certain parts of your conversation with the interviewer that you enjoyed or that further impressed you about the company. 

It takes a lot of energy to prepare for an interview. However, if you prepare in all of the right ways and execute all of the proper techniques during the interview, you will be sure to impress the company and the recruiter.