Are you getting ready for an important interview in the near future? It may seem like a daunting task without the right kind of preparation. But in reality, you can put your best foot forward in the interview room once you prepare enough and in the right areas. Here are some important things to do before your next extensive interview to wow your interviewers.
Research the Company
"Take some time to research the company before you head into the interview, making sure to familiarize yourself with their history, core values, and mission. You can start by taking a look at their website and then move on to other sources, such as their social media pages or any reviews, to see if there is anything that stands out across all of these channels. By researching the company, you can prepare yourself to tackle any questions regarding the company as well as ask questions yourself about anything specific that you may be curious about, overall showing that you are someone who knows what the company is."
– Bill Lyons, CEO of Griffin Funding
Think of Anecdotes from Previous Experiences
"You can expect your interviewer to ask questions where you will need to bring up specific examples from your previous work experiences. It's a bad look when you are seen struggling to recall a specific situation on the spot during an interview, so make sure you think of any anecdotes you can bring up before you go into the interview. This will help your interviewer get a better understanding of how you deal with difficult situations in the workplace. By coming in prepared with a few stories to share, you won't feel the pressure of being put on the spot."
– Jonathan Krieger, VP of Sales at Fabuwood
Dress The Part
"Dressing the part is one of the most important things you can do before your next big interview. It shows that you are taking the interview seriously and willing to put in the extra effort to make a good impression. Remember a few things when choosing what to wear to your next big interview. First, you want to ensure that you are dressing for the job you want, not the job you have. This means that you should dress slightly nicer than you would for a normal day at work. Second, you want to ensure that your clothing is clean and wrinkle-free. This shows that you are put-together and professional. Finally, you want to avoid wearing anything too flashy or attention-grabbing. You want the interviewer to remember you for your qualifications, not your fashion sense. Following these simple tips, you can dress the part and make a great impression at your next big interview."
– Hilary Kozak, Vice President of Marketing LivSmooth
Be On Time for the Interview
"Being on time for your interview is so important. Arriving early shows that you're reliable and eager to get the job. It also allows you to meet your interviewer and get a feel for the company culture. Of course, being on time can be challenging. There can be traffic, weather, or other unforeseen delays. That's why planning and leaving yourself some extra time is essential. If you can, try to arrive at least 15 minutes early. This will give you time to relax and collect your thoughts before the interview. Remember, first impressions matter. So make sure you're on time for your following considerable discussion. Arriving early shows that you're reliable and eager to get the job. It also allows you to meet your interviewer and get a feel for the company culture."
– Amy Alderstein, Senior Marketing Retention Manager at CanvasPeople
Practice with Mock Interviews
"A common mistake most people make is to not prepare for the interview. This can be a big mistake because it gives the interviewer the impression that you have no interest in the job or the company. So, it is essential to do a mock interview with a friend or family member. You can also ask a past interviewer for the purpose of practice. A mock interview is not only good because it allows you to practice your answers, but it also helps you relax. If you have practiced well, you should be able to answer most of the questions as they are asked."
– Matt Gehring, Head of Marketing at Dutch
Think About Body Language
"With a big interview right around the corner, it's important you are getting in the habit of manners and practicing respectful behavior. Many people do this naturally, but for others, it isn't as easy. Paying attention to your body language and the way you communicate with people leading up to an interview will allow you to get into proper shape by the time the interview comes. Not only do manners and communication make an impact on an interviewer, but good posture, eye contact, and handshaking go a long way as well. The more you train yourself beforehand and can show the interviewer your respect through manners, speaking slowly, and proper body language, you will quickly be a standout and put yourself ahead of others being interviewed through your willingness to make a genuine connection."
– Clayton Howard, Director of Analytics at Net Pay Advance
Know Why You're interested in This Position at the Company
"Knowing what you're looking for in a job and how to find it is essential. Before going to a job interview, you should figure out your core values, interests, and strengths. Figure out what you want to do and why you want to do it. If you don't know what you're looking for, you are likely to accept anything that comes your way, regardless of whether or not that job is right for you. Be sure you know why you're interested in this position at this company. You should have learned something in the posting that made this position stand out. Find out what exactly it was. This will help you focus your interview answers and demonstrate your genuine interest in the work to the interviewer."
– Saneem Ahearn, VP of Marketing at Colorescience
Prepare Your Transportation and Plans
"The day before the next big interview, you want to be calm and relaxed. It would be best if you began planning how to get to the office about twenty-four hours before the interview. Allow plenty of time for traffic, and give yourself some buffer time until the interview. Your commute should not be stressful. If you are traveling a distance, download podcasts or audiobooks to help you relax. If you are using public transportation, pick it out in advance and make sure you have downloaded a route map. If you have a car, confirm the route and ensure you have the addresses and phone numbers of the places you are going."
– Jacob Dayan, CEO of Community Tax
Prepare Questions For Hiring Manager
“While most people properly prepare answers to potential interview questions, not enough prepare questions to ask the hiring manager. A good interview should be more of a conversation than an interrogation. Prepared questions should be insightful and not anything that answers can easily be found on the website or job description. Asking for more details about the role, company, and interviewer's experience can help show genuine interest in the job and ensure the job is a good fit for you. Before your next big interview, take the time to prepare a few questions so you are not caught off guard when the interviewer opens the floor and look for opportunities throughout the interview to ask additional questions that may arise."
– Jeffery Pitrak, Marketing and Account Manager at Transient Specialists
Always Remember to Stay Calm
"It's never too early to start preparing for your following extensive interview. You're probably already making a list of what you need to do to get ready, and that's a great start. Preparing for an interview takes time and involves many steps, including some that are so obvious it's easy to overlook them. Your best bet is to give yourself plenty of time to do it all. If you're leaving things till the last minute, you'll run around like a headless chicken on the day of your interview, unable to focus on anything because you're too busy worrying about what time it is and whether you're ready."
– Lev Berlin, Founder of Recipal
Make Sure You Know What and What Not To Bring
"One key preparation that many people tend to forget about before going to a big interview is to make sure they know what they should bring and what they shouldn't. It's extremely important to know what to bring and what not to bring to a job interview, whether it be an extra copy of your resume, a pen, a notepad, headphones, and more. Items that should be brought include a portfolio or folder with extra copies of your resume, a printed list of references with copies, a list of questions to ask the interviewer, a notepad for important notes and quotes, and something to write with. Knowing what not to bring is key as well because you may come off as rude or uninterested if you bring certain items. Some of these items are your cell phone (at the least, you should always turn your phone off), a cup of coffee, meals, gum, video games, headphones, or anything that can be loud or distracting to you or others."
– David Ring, Senior Marketing Manager at MCT
Get As Much Sleep As Possible the Night Before
"Every good job candidate should know that they should get as much sleep as possible the night before a big interview. Getting a proper amount of sleep the night before will help you recharge your batteries from the previous day and will have you waking up energized and ready to take on the interview. Make sure to set up a proper sleep schedule for the night before by setting alarms, getting ready for bed earlier than usual, preparing some tea or a comfortable drink to have before bed, letting people know to not be loud if there's noisy neighbors or roommates, and even taking a nice, relaxing shower before bed. If you are well rested, you will no doubt be able to perform your very best mentally and physically, which can lead to great success with sharp thinking and well thought out responses."
– Chris Hunter, Director of Customer Relations at Service Titan
Be Familiar with the Company's Service
"One of the best things you can do the days before a big interview is to become familiar with this company’s products and services. Learn about the features and benefits of the products and services and why they are at a competitive advantage versus their competitors. You can also show your interviewer that you have taken the time to research the business and have a strong understanding and interest. Familiarizing yourself with the services/products is especially important when you are interviewing for a sales position so that you can show the interviewer how you would get started selling to customers and other organizations."
– Brandon Brown, CEO at GRIN
Make Sure You Can Fulfill the Job Requirements
"Whenever there is a position that piques your interest, please be sure to look at the requirements of the job so that you are able to bring those up during the interview. When an interviewer asks what you can bring to the table, you can then put emphasis on the job requirements that were outlined in the initial job posting online. Companies love when future candidates do so, because it actually shows that you thoroughly read the job description, you understand what is required of you, and you have acknowledged that you are able to fulfill those requirements. At the end of the day, many interviewers just want to be reassured that you are able to fulfill the requirements because they want to find the best fit for the position."
– Adrian Pereira, CEO & Founder of Eco Pea Co.
Tap Into Your Network
"While doing your research online for a job interview could definitely be beneficial, it could be even more beneficial if you know someone who works for the company you’ve applied for or is in the same industry as the company that you are applying for. That said, try tapping into your network of contacts. Whether it is someone that you know personally or a former colleague, any insight that you can get could be beneficial to learn more about the organization you have an interview with. Professional networking sites such as LinkedIn are great for those types of networking conversations, where you are able to get a more in-depth perspective on something you would not have been able to access online by doing your own research."
– Faryar Borhani, CCO of Midland Credit Management
Understand the Hierarchy of the Company
"While you are doing your due diligence to research the company to the best of your ability, make sure that you also understand the hierarchy of the organization. Understand who the key players are and who the gate holders are in the company from the top down. Learning about the inner workings of any company could be incredibly insightful. It could help you gain a deeper and better understanding as to how the company is run, simply by who the company is run by. This will definitely help you go into your interview more prepared than ever, as you will not feel so out of place or lost in how the company is structured."
– Sacha Ferrandi, CEO and Co-founder of Source Capital
Focus on Your Strengths
"When preparing for your next big interview, it can be overwhelming to prepare what you’re going to say and how you're going to respond to certain questions. Luckily there is a great strategy to use that will help boost your confidence and make it clear that you are a qualified candidate for the position. All you have to do is focus on your strengths. Because there are no two candidates alike, knowing exactly what you bring to the table helps you display your experience and abilities in a good light. While you may not check off every single requirement for the position, knowing how your previous experience is applicable to your next position will help you answer questions with ease. Make a list of your strengths and have a solid idea of how these will benefit the company you're applying for. Focusing on your strengths will not only help you feel confident going into your next big interview, it will also give you relevant talking points and help you respond effortlessly to any questions."
– CEO Gregg Dean, Layla Sleep
Be Confident In What you Bring To The Table
"Before going into your interview, make a mental list or even a physical list of your accomplishments that make you feel confident in your abilities. Employers want workers who are confident in their abilities, if you are confident then your employers are more likely to be confident in you. Your accomplishments are there as a reason to back up your confidence which is why it is a good idea to have a solid list of your accomplishments memorized. Quantifiable accomplishments are very good to have since they reinforce your skills even more. For example, if you are working in sales, bringing up exact percentages and numbers of how you positively impacted your previous company will give your employers confidence that you can do the same for their company. Being confident in your head is easy, but it is completely different when the big interview arrives. Practice makes perfect, so practice being confident in yourself and how you pitch your accomplishments to the interviewer. Think about how you would feel if you were the interviewer and the person you interviewed was confident in their ability and had quantifiable accomplishments to back up their confidence. Making a good first impression is what it is all about and exuding confidence is one way to make a quality first impression."
– Joe Acosta, Digital Marketing at BBQ Galore
At the end of the day, an interview is a company's chance to put a face to a name. It is their way to see who will be the right fit for the role and who will find success within the organization. When you put the time and effort into preparing the most you can before the interview, you can be sure that you are getting the most out of the interview process, and the company will recognize it.