9 Interview Preparation Tips That Will Help You Get The Job

9 Interview Preparation Tips That Will Help You Get The Job

Do you get unnecessarily nervous when going for an interview?

Do you usually feel you’ll say the wrong things that might make you lose the job?

Or it may be that you just doubt your own competence.

Then this article is just right for you.

Here are some quick things you should know and do before going for an interview.

1. Have the right skill

Ask yourself if you have the right skills for the position you are going to get interviewed for. It is advisable to be honest about your answer.

If your answer is positive, then you just won yourself some 50% confidence level!

Also, do a quick research about the core values of the company and then check if it correlates with your values. Again, if your answer is positive, this will fuel your passion subconsciously and you will be ready to give the interview your best shot.

Those being settled, below are more explicit tips that will be of great help in preparation for an interview

2. Know more about the company

I know that excitement. Don’t just get carried away that you forget how to sell yourself. Take out time to do sufficient research about the company.  

Carefully do some research about what the company stands for; their vision and mission statement.

Fact remains that you give will attention to what stirs your interest. Your interviewer might want to know if what they do really stirs your interest or you are just in for the money.

Therefore, talking about what the company promotes in relation to why you are a suitable candidate for the job will prove to the interviewer that you are not only interested in the job or the money but also in the company.  

In other words, make it clear that you are a suitable candidate for the available job position, by showing your knowledge and interest in what the company stands for.

3. Check common interview questions

A common quote by Benjamin Franklin says, “By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.” 

No matter how good you are with verbal communication, it is very necessary to do some research about ‘must ask’ questions and also rehearse appropriate answers to these questions.

This will go a long way in helping your lexical resource (flow) during the interview.

It is also equally important to rehearse your answers to these common questions as many times as possible.

However, avoid cramming these answers to avoid giving a wrong answer or sounding illogical. Just ensure you have some highlights you can always build on.

You can get two to three friends to help you practice. They will act as your interviewer(s).

This helps you to prepare better than when you practise on your own. You can also record your responses to know how well prepared you are.

It is important to answer in a confident and convincing manner instead of getting trapped in thoughts of what to say. Try to give your answers in an articulate manner and leave a lasting impression on your interviewer.

Yes, there are several questions that are common for interviews, however, you should streamline your attention to the ones that are closely related to the job you are about to apply for.

Below are some common questions for every interview:

• Tell us about yourself
• How did you hear about this position?
• Why do you want this job?
• How did you know about this company?
• What are your strengths and weaknesses?

You will do yourself a lot of good by knowing the appropriate answers to these questions. 

4. Be ready

Being ready intellectually is not sufficient; you must also be ready for your physical appearance and sorting of required documents.

The first thing your interviewer(s) will notice about you is your physical appearance. You wouldn’t want to get them pissed at the sight of you.

Therefore, get your clean and well-ironed corporate attire ready before the interview. You could do some research about different colour combinations that complement each other and suit corporate purposes.

Mmmmh – your hair, shoes and makeup are equally important. Take out time to style your hair beautifully if you’re a lady or trim and shape your hair handsomely if you’re a gentleman.

Your shoes – a well-polished formal shoe will be perfect for this purpose. Your make up should be moderate and if you are a man, see to it that your face is not too oily.

Above all, let your appearance get you a good impression.

Don’t forget to hold a copy of your curriculum vitae or resume even when you are not asked to bring it along.  On the other hand, if you are asked to bring some documents with you, then you will help yourself by sorting them days before the D-day.

This will prevent unforeseen situations like missing or forgetting a particular document.

5. Relax

It is absolutely normal for you to feel nervous and anxious when going for an interview.

You may be a confident person on an average day, but the thought of a job interview might make you doubt your abilities.

Therefore, one of the most important things to have when preparing for an interview is a settled mind. Your state of mind has the capability to influence the outcome of the interview.

One easy way to achieve this is to get to the venue on time. I will advise an hour before the set time to get you relaxed and familiar with the environment before you get called.

Being late for an interview will undoubtedly destabilize you, no matter how prepared you are.

Moreover, it might give your interviewer a wrong view of you.

For example, when you are stressed, some stress hormones are released into your body. These hormones bring conflicting thoughts and make you lose focus.

You need no prophet to tell you that no one would employ someone who cannot express himself confidently due to a lack of focus.

But when you are calm, it becomes easy to think clearly and intelligently. You will be able to answer any question because you are in the right state of mind.

6. Be self-assertive

It is important to be humble and polite during an interview. Nevertheless, it does not mean you shouldn’t be able to do some self-boasting with your capabilities.

Assertiveness is often misunderstood as being aggressive, this is very wrong. Being assertive is your ability to be able to communicate in a manner that is clear, confident and direct.

Self-assertiveness enables you to express your answers and opinion in a confident, yet respectful manner.  You are able to control yourself in a positive manner if you are self-assertive. This can make your interviewer(s) fall in love with your expressions. Who wouldn’t?

If you are self-assertive, you most likely have:

• A relaxed voice
• The ability to maintain eye contact with your interviewer
• Firm & clear explanations
• An ability to express yourself logically.

7. Make the most of the first 5-7 minutes

The first impression lasts longer.

If you are able to win the heart of your interviewer(s) in the first 5-10 minutes of your interview, there is a high chance that they will get impressed by your subsequent composure and answers.

Most times, the first question of an interviewer is – Tell us about yourself. This is a perfect chance to give a mind-blowing elevator pitch.

Elevator pitch oftentimes opens an avenue for professional conversation. Your ability to achieve this makes the interview interesting. It will look more or less like a discussion, not you being on a hot seat.

You may be thinking an elevator pitch is not necessary for an interview since it is common amidst entrepreneurs. Nope. Let me give you a brief description of what an elevator pitch is.

An elevator pitch is a very short, compelling speech that you give to trigger the interest of your interviewer(s) in you.

They call it an ‘elevator’ pitch because you are to say something mind-blowing that will take you from the ground floor of a building to the top floor using an elevator.

These points will help you get a perfect elevator pitch:

• Talk about your past (where you have been)
• Link it with your present (where you are currently)
• Tell them about your vision (where you want to go)

State these in a professional manner. Let your speech be thorough, yet concise.

In case you are wondering why you should keep your elevator speech short, your audience (interviewers) only need the facts and not long stories, which has the ability to bore them.

Moreover, you are not the only candidate they have to listen to, so it is advisable to state only the relevant information. Remember, small bites are easily digestible.

Read Steps you should take to achieve your career goals

8. Elucidate your selling point

In answering questions thrown at you, try your very best to elucidate your selling points. Permit me to say, ’bombard them with your strengths and skills’ as suited for the job you are applying for.

It is important to have about 4-5 selling points at heart while preparing for an interview. Let your interviewer(s) know in clear terms what makes you the best candidate for the position you have applied for; what makes you interested in it.

The skills and strength you possess that will enable you to carry out your required duties effectively, how you will be able to contribute a very good quota to the development of the organization and how your career vision coincides with what the organization does.

Make a list of the personal and professional skills you possess that will help you contribute immensely to the growth and development of the company if employed. This surely is an added advantage.

9. Show good charisma from start to finish

It is important to treat everyone with respect from the gateman to the interviewers and other candidates.

Wear a smile all through the interview process and no matter how the interviewer(s) make you feel, ensure you end the interview on a very good note.

In conclusion, getting an interview invite in a competitive market is a big task on its own. Hence, it is advisable to make the most of it.

Again, here are the highlights of important tips to note while preparing for an interview:

• Know more about the company
• Adequately prepare for common interview questions and rehearse your answers
• Are you ready?
• Be settled
• Be self-assertive
• Make the most of the first 5-7 minutes of the interview
• Be of good charisma from start to finish.

I hope this article helps you to prepare adequately for your interview. 😉

What do you think?