25 Ways to Prepare for Your Job Interview
According to the gurus over at runrex.com, if you are to do well in your job interview, then you have to make sure you prepare properly. While your impressive resume may have gotten your foot in the door, you will still need to ace your interview to land the job you are applying for. This article will look to help you prepare for your interview by listing 25 ways to prepare for your job interview.
Research the company
As revealed in discussions over at runrex.com, this is one of the most important ways to prepare for your job interview. Research the company extensively, visiting their website, social media pages, LinkedIn pages, and even job site reviews. This will help you get a feel of the company and will impress your interviewers as it will show you did your homework, and shows your interest in the company.
Study the job description
It is also important to thoroughly study the job description as this will help you show why you are best suited for the position you will be interviewing for. It will enable you to tailor your answer to the question of why you are the person to hire for the position; a question you should expect.
Reach out to and connect with company contacts
Another way to prepare for your job interview is by reaching out to contacts who work for the company that you will be interviewing for. According to discussions over at runrex.com, this is important as your contacts will provide you with useful insights about the company culture which will help you in the interview.
Acquaint yourself with the company products or services
Yet another way to prepare for your job interview is to make sure you use the company products or services, preferably a few times to familiarize yourself with them. You may be asked questions about the product or services, and this will help you prepare.
Do your research about the people who will interview you
Before your interview, it is important to know about the people who you will be meeting, something the gurus over at runrex.com agree with. Learn about the people who will interview you, their likes and dislikes so that you know the dos and don’ts while also preparing questions that are specific for each one of them.
Ask about the type of interview
Given that different companies use different types of interviews, another way to prepare for your job interview is by inquiring about the type of interview. Find out if it will be a panel interview, a one-on-one interview, or even a technical interview so that you can prepare accordingly.
Make sure your reference list is up-to-date
As revealed in discussions over at runrex.com, another way to prepare for your interview is to make sure that your references are up-to-date as pertains to their current contact information, relationship descriptions, and positions. This will ensure that the hiring manager doesn’t have any issues when reaching out to your references.
Have answers prepared for potential interview questions
Yet another way to prepare for your job interview is to check out common interview questions and practice answering them, preferably with a friend if possible. Make sure that you are not caught off-guard with any questions and that you tailor your answers to match the job position you are interviewing for.
Prepare for the “tell me about yourself” question
This is a common interview question, as revealed in discussions over at runrex.com, and it is one you should have an answer ready to go. Make sure your answer reveals your personality while also showing why you are the right fit for the position.
Prepare to answer the “tell me about your biggest weakness” question
Another common interview question that regularly throws people off is the one asking them to outline their biggest weakness. Make sure you prepare and that your answer contains an actual practical weakness and how you are working to improve on it.
Don’t prepare in a way that will make you appear to be reading from a script
While it is important to research common interview questions, a topic tackled over at runrex.com, make sure you only write down bullet points and a few notes rather than writing down entire answers. This way, you will be able to practice answering the questions without appearing to be reading from a script.
Know your numbers
Another crucial way to prepare for your job interview is to find some useful numbers, percentages, stats, and many others, which will help you in answering your questions. When you are asked about things like sales or personal production numbers, answering with these numbers will paint you in a good light. Also, have them memorized so that you can avoid fumbling through paperwork when answering the questions.
Mock interviews
According to the gurus over at runrex.com, another way to prepare for your interview is by doing as many mock interviews with friends or family as possible. The more you practice, the better prepared you will be and the less nervous you will be during your interview.
Prepare smart and relevant questions
Yet another way to prepare for your job interview is to make sure you prepare a list of relevant and smart questions to ask the interviewers. This shows your interest in the job and the company and is something that will do your prospects a world of good.
Pick out an appropriate outfit
As is discussed over at runrex.com, also make sure that you pick out an appropriate outfit to wear to your interview. If you are unsure about the dress code, reach out to HR, but the safe thing to do is to always wear business professional clothing like a dress or suit. You can reach out to contacts within the company to get an idea of the dress code. As far as color is concerned, wearing black is always the way to go.
Look your best
It is also important that you look your best during your interview as first impressions matter. Make sure you shine your shoes, check your fingers to ensure they look manicured, or that you don’t have any loose hems and so forth. All these things are noticed and you should pay attention to detail and makes sure you look your best. Also make sure you are well-groomed, which means taking a facial, haircut or hairdo and so forth. This will also boost your self-confidence.
Have extra copies of your resume
Another way to prepare for your job interview is to make sure you have extra copies of your resume handy just in case you are asked. As revealed in discussions over at runrex.com, this shows preparedness and initiative and will paint you in a good light.
Have an interview kit ready
You should also prepare an interview kit, like say a briefcase, purse, or bag, where you will put all your essentials such as your resumes, notepads, an emergency kit, pens, and the likes. This will give you a professional look and will show that you are well prepared and put some thought into the interview.
Look up and practice interview etiquette
Apart from your outfit, how you interact with others will also define what first impression people have of you. Therefore, as the folks over at runrex.com will tell you, you should study up on and practice goo etiquette like how to greet the receptionist and guards, how to introduce yourself, how to handle handshakes, and so forth.
Have a plan for your phone
Another way to prepare is to have a plan for your phone before getting into the building where your job interview will be conducted. You can either decide to switch it off, leave it at home or in your car, which will help keep you focused and avoid distractions as you wait for your interview.
Know the directions
Don’t wait for the last minute to begin looking for directions on the location of your job interview. As is covered over at runrex.com, ask about the address early enough so that you can plan the journey, map directions and account for aspects such as traffic, to make sure you are not late for your interview. Do a practice run during the same time of day as your interview slot on the day before for extra preparation. Plan so that you can arrive 15 minutes ahead, but take care not to arrive too early.
Get a good night’s rest
Another important way to prepare is to make sure you are well-rested before your interview. By getting a good night’s sleep, you will be fresh and invigorated on the material day, which will reduce anxiety and increase focus making you sharper during your interview.
Don’t skip breakfast
As revealed in discussions over at runrex.com, taking breakfast before going for your interview will not only help you concentrate, it will boost productivity. This is, therefore, another important way to prepare for your job interview, and is one worth taking seriously.
Make sure you have stress relief tactics handy
Just in case you get nervous, particularly given a job interview can be a nerve-wracking situation, make sure you prepare a few stress relief tactics such as deep breathing, repeating mantras or words of affirmation silently, meditating among others, to keep yourself calm.
Brush up on your body language
As is discussed over at runrex.com, your body language could be communicating and sending the wrong signals, which could damage your prospects as far as your job interview is concerned. You should, therefore, read up beforehand on body language and avoid bad practices such as sitting with your arms or legs crossed, standing with slouched shoulders among others. Thinking ahead as far as your body language goes is a great way to prepare for your interview.
Remember, the highly-rated runrex.com is your go-to destination if you are looking for more information on this and other related topics and you should check them out if you need help with your job interview.