Having a successful interview starts before the interview beings. Follow these three steps to prepare yourself to have a great interview: research, formulate answers, and prepare your own questions.
Almost every interview ends with the opportunity for you to ask questions.
Research
Before the interview, spend time researching the employer. Know their mission statement, their overall operations, and the role you are interviewing for. This can be done through their website or the job advertisement. Think of ways you can weave your research into the answers you provide during the interview. Be able to speak to the company’s mission statement or values and how you connect with them. Show the employer you are interested in their company and have spent time preparing. Be sincere in your answers. Use this research to also find how this company aligns with your goals, values and what you are looking for in a workplace. Think about what other information you might need to know to decide if this organization is also a good fit for you.
Formulate Answers to Interview Questions
Hiring managers and interviewers typically use behavioral interviewing style questions. This kind of interview question is looking for you to give specific examples of you using the skills or characteristics being asked about. Even if the question is not phrased in this style, your answers should still be behavioral in response. Behavioral answers would look like: “In my past employment I have”… and then relate a past experience with the question being asked. Stay away from hypothetical answers. An example of this would be: “I have never had any experience in that area, but how I would handle it is…” Hypotheticals do not appropriately show your experience and are just that… hypothetical in nature. Try to relate each answer to an example closely related to the job you are applying for. If you have limited experience, you can also use examples from other types of employment, school experiences, organizations, or clubs you have belonged to. You want to be able to show you understand the concept being presented by the interviewer.
Preparing questions for the interviewer
Almost every interview ends with the opportunity for you to ask questions. Ensure you take the opportunity to ask the interviewer a few questions. Plan these out prior to the interview based on your research and the job posting. A few good examples would be to ask what success in the role looks like in 30-90-365 days. Ask the interviewer what the best thing is about working for the company you are applying with, or what they think is most interesting about the position you are applying for. These questions show you have done your research, as well as your overall interest in the company. Not asking questions at the end isn’t necessarily a red flag, but most candidates who get job offers have well-thought-out questions they have asked. This is also your opportunity to interview the employer. In addition to showing genuine interest in being successful in the position you are applying for, it is also a chance to make sure it is a position you want and one where you see yourself being successful.
