Therefore, you must make sure that you carry out this process in the best possible way.
Is it the first job interview you attend? Did your last interview not go well and you want to improve? Here we will take care of giving you advice on how to prepare for a job interview.
Our tips are ideal for before, during and after the interview. These are intended to help you make a good impression on the recruiter and answer their questions appropriately.
How to prepare for a job interview? Tips to do it
In a job position there can be dozens of applicants, they have similar training and skills to yours. Therefore, you must seize any opportunity to excel, one of them is the interview. If you know how to prepare for a job interview, what to do and what to say during it, you will be able to stand out.
What you do and say in the interview cannot be left to chanceIdeally, you should prepare the days before it. Next, we detail the tips to prepare you properly 👇
investigate the company
In the interview they not only ask you questions about the information on your resume, in reality, the questions can be very varied. The interviewer is likely to ask you business related questionslike 👇
“What do you know about us?” Why are you interested in working for our company? “Do you think you fit in with our company?” “What area of our company interests you most?”
Don’t improvise when answering this kind of question., because the recruiter will think that you are not very interested in the position. When you spend time researching the company and answer a company-related question appropriately, you make a good impression.
“Where can I research a company?”
Currently, doing this type of research is very simple since you can enter the company website. You can also go to their social networksespecially LinkedIn.
When you do your research, find out the mission and vision of the company, its values, organizational structure and their activities. We suggest you take note of the most important data so that you can review it until the day of the interview arrives.
🎁 Additional Information: If possible, you can also investigate the interviewer, this can be the Human Resources manager, the department director or another professional. In case you know his name, look him up on the internet, look at how he expresses himself and see a photograph of him, this will give you confidence.
Read the job offer
In our CV guides we recommend you read the job offer you are applying for. This will help you determine what is the company looking for and adapt the content of your CV. Reading the offer is not only useful when writing your resume, but also when preparing for a job interview.
In this case, read the offer carefully, because this way it is easier for you to detect the key points in it. As you read it, focus on knowing the requirements of the job position and the specific functions of the job.
review your achievements
In job interviews certain things are made common questions in all companiesamong them are 👇
“What can you tell me about your previous jobs?” How did your job help the company you worked for? “What achievements have you achieved in your jobs?”
The time that elapsed between jobs or interview nerves can make it difficult for you to remember your accomplishments. For this reason, we advise you Review the ones you’ve added to your resume, don’t just memorize what you wrote. In an interview you can briefly talk about your achievements and explain how you achieved them .
In addition to the achievements on your resume, you can review others that you consider important, but you did not mention in the CV so as not to exceed the recommended length.
Identify your strengths and weaknesses
“What are your strengths and weaknesses?”
This is one of the most common questions in job interviews. As for your strong points or strengths, even if they are in your Curriculum vitae, the recruiter wants to hear you say them. When he knows them, he will determine how can you benefit the company.
When you talk about your weaknesses, don’t just name them. Every time you mention one, explain concisely what you are doing to attend to it. That will show the recruiter that you are committed to your professional development.
Because of how common this question is, it’s a good idea to think of an answer days before the interview. make a list of your strengths and weaknesses in a professional sense.
Prepare an elevator pitch
«How to prepare a good job interview?»
One of the recommendations to follow to prepare yourself is writing a Elevator Pitch. This term is used to refer to the brief presentation what entrepreneurs do to their shareholders or potential customers. However, we can also apply it to the job interview.
On many occasions, interviewers say “Tell me about yourself.” Although it may seem that answering this is easy, a large part of the interviewees find it difficult. they may not know what points are worth mentioning to show that they are suited to the job.
To avoid talking about aspects that do not interest the interviewer and that do not suit the position you are applying for, prepare a elevator pitch a few days in advance. So You will have time to think about what differentiating aspects to highlight.
When you prepare your elevator pitchapply the following tips 👇
Be brief, what is recommended is that your presentation does not last more than 2 minutes. The ideal duration is between 45 seconds and one minute. Speak with confidence so that your message is convincing and convey the desired ideas clearly. After creating your elevator pitchtry it several times and you can even tell a friend to tell you his opinion and if you can improve something.
Think of questions you can ask the recruiter
Many interviewers allow applicants to ask questions that seek to clarify a point about the company or job. Of course, the idea is not that you direct the job interview or that the recruiter feels that you are interviewing him.
Normally, it is the recruiter who asks you if you have any questions that you want to clarify This occurs at the end of the interview.
“What questions can I ask the recruiter?”
Some options are 👇
“What are the challenges of the job?” “Is it a new or old position in the company?” “What have other employees done to be successful in this job?”
There are questions that you should not ask the recruiter, such as what your salary will be or how long you will join the company if it has not yet been decided who will be hired.
Choose carefully the clothes you will wear
To make the best possible impression, you must take care of the details, among them is the clothes you will wear in the interview. When you are choosing clothes for the day of the interview, be careful and follow these tips 👇
Consider the organizational culture. Find out how the employees of the company dress. It is best to choose an outfit that is conservative and formal.
It will not always be necessary for you to wear formal attire, in some types of companies you can take a little risk. In these cases, it is convenient to be balanced, a great option is to guide you through a style business casual.
In addition to choosing the clothes well, you must make sure that they are in good condition, no wrinkles or stains. The dressing It must be complemented with good personal hygiene, accessories and suitable hairstyle .
Print your resume and review it
“How to prepare a personal job interview?”
You most likely sent your Curriculum vitae in digital format, so we suggest bring a printed version with you to the interview. This will benefit both you and the interviewer. In your case, you will be able to review your CV while it is your turn to be interviewed.
As for the interviewer, a printed copy of the resume will help him or her refresh your profile points about which he wants to ask you.
To answer fluently questions about the content of your resume, it is vital that you review this document before the interview. In this way, you avoid forgetting the points that you have written yourself.
Rest well
Our last tip on how to prepare for a successful job interview is to get a good night’s rest beforehand. When you’ve rested well, you’re ready to give it your all. Besides, your mind will be clear to answer questions in the best way.
When you get enough sleep the night before the interview, you’ll be fresh the next morning and have a better chance of being on time.
How to act the day of the job interview?
You have followed the above advice, you have even rested well and the day of the interview has arrived. When you head to the interview, make sure you leave on time so that be punctual. It is necessary that you calculate the time in which you will leave home taking into account any inconvenience that may arise along the way.
It is valid that you arrive between 5 and 10 minutes in advance to the place of the interview, punctuality benefits the image you transmit. While it’s time to be interviewed, reduces nerves, these are normal, but if not controlled, they can affect your performance .
Pre-interview preparation will help you increase your self-confidence and be more calm. If you wish, you can apply relaxation techniques the morning of the interview. You will find more information in the article 12 keys to overcome nerves in a job interview.
Now, let’s see what you should do when it’s your turn to be interviewed 👇
Greet the interviewer formally
In our guides for writing cover letters, we recommend greeting the recruiter briefly and formally, the same applies in the interview. When you greet the interviewer, do it cordially. If you say his name, make sure it’s correct.
“How should I greet the interviewer?”
It is best that you give him a handshake, this should be firm, but not too strong. The only exception to this is if the person greets you in another way, such as with a kiss on the cheek.
When you enter the room where the interview is taking place, do so with security, but without conveying arrogance.
Speak clearly and listen carefully
When speaking, do it in a appropriate volume, without yelling, but it doesn’t look like you’re mumbling. To speak clearly, you have to control the speed with which you speak, make sure the interviewer understands what you are saying. He does not use fillers and remember that you must think your answers quickly, since it is recommended to avoid long pauses between …