5 Sure Ways Of Preparing For An Interview

By Ruoro Kairu

Have you ever been invited for an interview and excitement run through you, only to be overwhelmed by nervousness moments later? You’re not alone. With an interview, comes the pressure to perform and impress not only above the rest of the applicants and job seekers but also to match and surpass the expectations of the employer.

Here are five sure ways to preparing for an interview. Once you follow and practice these steps, you’ll notice an improvement in your confidence and courage when you attend the next interview. And you’ll be certain the employer will remember you for all the right reasons.

1. Get acquainted with the place

If you’re heading to an interview in a place where you’re unfamiliar with, ensure you know the place well.

One of the mistakes to avoid is being late for your interview. The only way to ensure you’re on time is by knowing the place well. If the interview is in a week or so, take a trip before and know exactly where the interview is happening.

Moreover, ensure you allocate enough time to factors like traffic, weather delay, and so on.

On the day of the interview, ensure you’re early. 15-20 minutes before the interview should be enough time.

2. Study the company and the position

While in an interview, some of the questions you don’t want to ask include, “what exactly does this company do?” or “What will be my role if I get the job?”

Such questions only go to show the employer you were not prepared for the interview and do not know about the company.

Studying the company’s background, customers, niche area, and competition will give you an edge over the other candidates.

3. Remember your stories

One of the popular types of questions in an interview room is behavioural questions. These questions start in a format such as “tell me when…”

If you want to ace the interview, ensure you know all your stories. To build on your chances of getting the job, try and relate these stories with your strengths and prior achievements.

4. Practice

You’ll never be over-prepared for an interview.

As much as you do not want your answers to sound rehearsed, you also do not want to be caught unprepared.

Go over the most commonly asked questions and try to provide the best answer for each question.

To help, you can enlist the services of an interview coach.

5. Have your questions ready

Asking the interviewer questions during the interview can drastically increase your chances of getting hired.

The questions you ask, however, have to be structured. As mentioned above, you cannot ask what the company does or what your role will entail. This begs the question, what are the appropriate questions for an interview?

Since all interviews are different, there is not one set way to ask questions. However, you can use your curiosity to guide the questions you’ll ask.

If, for example, you are curious about leadership, ask about their leadership structure and who you’re expected to report to.

If you just came from a toxic workplace, you can ask about the work culture.

In interviews, being prepared is everything. With these five ways, you’ll improve your confidence in attending an interview.

For further assistance in interview coaching, book a session with an interview coach here.