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| picture via kxxubi |
Interviews. Either the scariest 30 minutes of your life or a chance to blow your interviewer’s socks off and land your dream job. Okay, I shouldn’t get ahead of myself, clearly there is an in between and let’s be honest, we will all go to interviews where we don’t get the job after. That is life and although it sucks, interviews are the perfect learning opportunity as well as a way to know what you want and don’t want from a company. You have to remember that even though you are sitting on the hot seat getting questions fired at you, you’re also interviewing the company too so you can see if it is or isn’t a good fit for YOU. As a senior in college I have had a ton of interviews so far and have just begun interviewing for post grad positions (SCARY). Going through school, I tried to take advantage of so many opportunities to build my resume and gain experience. With those opportunities came interviews, and lots of them. Below I have complied my 5 tips to rocking an interview!
#1: Do your research
This sounds simple enough, but some companies take this seriously. They want to know that you have done your research and actually know what the company does. I recommend sifting through their website and pulling on information you learned during your interview. Interviewers love it when you talk about how their company’s values align with yours!
#2: Glassdoor possible interview questions
A lot of larger companies have so much information on them on Glassdoor. Past interviewees have posted the questions they were asked during their interview. It is like having a cheat sheet on a test! If you know what a company is going to ask you, you can prepare in advanced. This prevents word vomit when they throw you a curveball question you hadn’t even thought about.
#3: Don’t sound too rehearsed
If you recite an answer to a question like a 6th grade student council speech it will turn off the interviewer. Although it is great to prepare in advance, don’t sound like a robot. When you are preparing for the questions you think will be asked, make bullet points to draw from. Don’t write out your entire answer because then you end up reciting it.
#4: Bring a portfolio & ask questions!
At the end you will almost always be asked if you have any questions. Now is the time to look like you really want the job and whip open your portfolio with a notepad in it. It is totally fine to have a couple questions jotted down to ask your interviewers. They’ll love that you were thinking about it ahead of time so be sure to scribble down some notes as they answer your questions!
#5: Send a thank you!
Always send a thank you note or email (depends on the situation) after the interview. I had a professor that told me once that while he was a CFO, he never hired anyone if they didn’t send a thank you note after the interview… regardless of their qualifications. It literally takes a minute to send a thank you email or five minutes to send a thank you note! So do it!
I used to get quite anxious & very nervous whenever I take interview, but started to look for some great tips & tried them in real life! I think I'm getting better at it & I'm still working on it! Thank you sooo much for sharing these xx
Kaylee | JK's Dawn
These are such great tips! #3 is something I've been personally working on over the past month. I did debate team in high school, so sometimes in interviews, I can sound too 'pageant/rehearsed', and I've really had to make an effort to loosen up a bit! #1 is soo important as well!
Thank you for sharing these!
Mackenzie | http://www.mackenziekendall.com
Perfect tips! Love the post.
xo, jill
http://www.BornFancy.com
Adore these tips, glassdoor is really such a life changer! Also love the tip about the thank you, that applies in so many areas of our life… not just interviews!
xoxo
Brooke|LookBrooke
SAME! I would always write out an entire answer to a possible question and when it was asked I'd sound so rehearsed!! I'm glad you liked the post! xo
So true… good old fashioned thank you notes definitely need to be used more! xo
Thank you Jill!
Interviews take a lot of practice!! And even after a lot of practice, the nerves always seem to make an appearance! I'm glad you liked the post! xo
Its always a great idea to over prepare. I like to be done preparing a couple days ahead, and always order more ink ahead for that portfolio you mentioned.
I am a sahm at the moment but these are great tips!
Exactly! You don't want to be caught off guard!