Thursday, March 28, 2013

Making Interviews Easier

One day in the near future, we will all have our first job interview. There are certain things that are hard to avoid like nerves. However, there are ways to make the interview a little easier.
Preparation is key. The more prepared you are the more confident you will feel walking into that interview room. Preparation goes hand in hand with practice. It is important to research typical interview questions that may be asked of you and then mentally prepare answers.
Another strategy to make your interview run a little smoother is having common knowledge of the company you are interviewing at; have a thorough understanding of the job position and what would be required of you. The next step you should take is making sure you have your (business-appropriate) outfit picked out the night before the day of the interview, and possibly even a back-up outfit (both ironed, of course.) This will alleviate the, “Oh God, what am I going to wear?” stress. In addition, if you get dressed the next morning and happen to spill coffee on yourself causing you to have to change quickly, you’ll be happy you had a back-up outfit. This goes for both men AND women. Also don’t forget to prepare your portfolio with multiple copies of your resume, as well as, a small notebook and pen. Now, it’s the morning of your interview! It is of the utmost importance that you are on time for the interview. Being five to ten minutes early is even better. (To alleviate the stress of getting lost the day of the interview, maybe take a trip out to the location a few days before and see how long it takes you.) During the interview, be sure to be polite and courteous, of course, and also be sure to stay calm. Keep eye-contact and listen thoroughly. Don’t be afraid to sell yourself and let the interviewer know why you deserve the job.
In her top interviewing tips, Lisa Jobson, Director of Talent at Harvey Nash, states "Now you have secured the interview, focus your attention on getting the job by differentiating yourself from the competition and leaving no doubt in the interviewer's mind you are the person they should hire."
 

1 comment:

  1. Hi Lindsey! I am very thankful that you posted this blog because I know I get very nervous talking in front of people especially in interviews. Your tips are very helpful to me and I am sure that other people reading your blog feel the exact same way. I think your post is very organized and really helps out a person that is struggling with interviews and needs help staying calm. What i liked most about your post is that you took into consideration what the little details are when approaching an interview and being stressed over it. For example when you talk about what you should wear, i think its very helpful if you also plan out what you are wearing the night before so that the morning of the interview you have one less thing to worry about. I also liked the tip on how you have to be prepared for anything that is thrown at you.

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