How to Prepare for a Job Interview?

In order to answer the question how to prepare for a job interview, you need to know what is it that you’re trying to achieve. How to prepare for a job interview is a big and important question. Because it’s so important, there’s a lot of materials about it online. If you search for “how to prepare for a job interview”, I guarantee you will have hours of reading/watching/listening material.

Why is that?

Well, it’s because interviews are super important. And you only get one chance to leave a good first impression based on which someone will decide whether you’re a good fit or not. 

It’s common knowledge that we all want to leave a good first impression! For some people, this is easy, but for most – it’s very hard.
In this article, I am going to go over a few tips & tricks that I share with my clients when they ask me how to prepare for a job interview.

Are you the perfect candidate?

I know there is a lot of information circulating on the internet. As a result, there is a lot of confusion. We don’t know how to act and we become obsessed with this “perfect candidate” role we need to play.

Some say you have to learn by heart the company’s history. Others advise you to study the STAR method in order to smash your interview. And then there are those who focus on your outfit and body language.

If you do all that, you will come across as the perfect candidate. But, is there really such a thing?

 

How to really prepare for a job interview?

Not really, unless we believe perfection is real. So, to help ordinary humans who are looking for work, here is my advice.

1. Start over

Certainly, our first advice is – forget everything you’ve ever read about a job interview. If you are overwhelmed, you will not do well. Ignore everything and take a deep breath. Think about who you are and why you applied for the job. Be honest with yourself and practice answering that question a few times. Ask yourself “Why did I apply?” and “Why would my presence in this company be beneficial to me and to the company itself?”

Once you have a clean slate and a clear mind, things will become easier.

2. Research

If you’ve read other blogs on this site, you’re probably sick of this word. But, there’s no other way of doing this, if you want to do it right! You need to research the company thoroughly. The same goes for the position you applied for. It might be a common title, such as “Office Assistant”, but do check quite a few job ads to see what can fall under this role. You might be surprised!

This doesn’t mean you have to memorize everything you’ve read. Quite the opposite, actually, this should simply expand your horizons. Truth be told, we remember more stuff than we think we do! And you never know when it’s going to come in as handy. Perhaps you’ll get a surprise question and pull something out of your sleeve that you just read a few days ago, when preparing for the interview!

3. Deep-dive into the company

3.1. Similarly to the first portion of the research, try and find reviews online about the very role in this particular company. It can help you immensely! There are even videos on YouTube that you can check out for some of the companies!

3.2. Thirdly, look for interview prep tips and tricks for that company. Do this using a search engine and LinkedIn. You can even reach out to people who work in the company, explain your situation, and ask for help. You never know!

Final thoughts on job interview preparation

The bottom line is that each company has its way of doing interviews, and we can’t generalize, which is often the case in generic “interview prep” articles. As long as you know why you applied, you understand why you’re suitable for the role, and you learn a bit about the company, you should be good to go! Remember to wear comfortable clothes and look people in the eyes during the interview. Even if it’s a video interview, look straight into the camera.

Check out our other blog posts to see ideas on how to make your job hunt more successful and how to win over any potential employer.

If you are struggling with interviews and are unsure how to prepare, book a one-off coaching session with us here.

However, if you can’t even get to the interview part because your CV is not getting results, it might be the right time to take a step back and revamp it. That’s not an easy task, so we’ve written a step-by-step CV writing guide to help you. You can get more replies to job applications if you follow the principles outlined in that book which is available here.

However, if you’d like to leave that part to professionals – get in touch using the form below or simply order your CV and cover letter now and watch your career take off.

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