Getting Ready for an Interview: Everything to know for success
Every job application process begins with the sending of the applicant’s resume and cover letter to an organization, the resume submitted is then reviewed by the hiring managers to see if it meets the requirement of the job applied for. Candidates whose information met the requirement are then sent an invitation mail for an interview session with the hiring managers.
In most organizations, the interview process with a candidate is the last stage of the job application process, so, it is very important both for the hiring manager and the candidate.
In this article, you will get acquainted with the interview process and how to get yourself ready for one.
Before you proceed, kindly check our previous article on “The Average Salary for Teachers in the United Kingdom”
Getting Ready for an Interview.
In getting ready for any interview, the following points should be carefully checked in order to successfully pass a high score in whatever the hiring manager may be looking for in an applicant.
Research about the company.
The first thing to do is to make research about the company you are been invited to interview. The interview process of every organization varies, therefore there is a need for you to understand the place you are going in for an interview. Their interview process can be learned from their website, and There are various search engines and websites that provide information too. Try to spend time and go through the company’s profile, it will surely help you to understand the company’s process.
Get yourself acquainted with the position your are applying for.
Understand the position you are applying for, the role you will be playing, and what you will be offering to the organization. Most hiring managers usually proposition the question “What should we hire you? Or why do you think you are the best fit for the job?”. This question can be best answered if you understand the nature of the job you are applying for.
Learn everything you can about the open position.
Before you can show your interviewer why you’d be a great hire, you need to know what they’re looking for. Luckily, most organizations have laid out exactly what they want in an applicant in the job posting. So go back to the description you looked at before you applied. What skills and experiences are they emphasizing? What problems will this hire need to solve? These are the things you’ll want to emphasize throughout your interview.
Identify your selling points for this job.
Bear in mind that you might not be the only one a company will be interviewing, this implies that you might not be the only one that met the company’s requirements. On this note, you have to make your interview session outstanding, this can only be done by knowing your selling point. Know what makes you special from the other candidates; this is your selling point.
Know your worth, be confident.
Most interviewees make the mistake of not knowing their worth, as such they get frightened when asked by the hiring manager their proposed salaries, and they end up saying something far less than what the hiring managers have in mind or what the position is worth. Find out what the position you are applying for is worth, so you don’t end up reducing your worth
Go through past interview questions and answers of that organization.
Most organizations have the habit of repeating interview questions, and organizations might not have the time to keep on setting new interview questions asked in interviews that are always related, do yourself the favor of going past interview questions, it will sure help during the interview.
futher reading:
Resume Personal Statements: Definition, Examples, What to Include
Build your confidence.
Various techniques and steps have been provided by researchers on how to boast confidence, especially during interviews. These steps include talking to yourself in the mirror, mediating, or evening inviting friends to watch you speak as a form of practicing.
Figure out what to wear.
This step is been overlooked by most interviewees, different jobs have different outfits and not all interviews require you to put on a suit, imagine yourself going for an engineering interview where practical is sure required, you will agree with me that putting on a suit isn’t part of the dress option at all. Trying to understand the position you are applying for, the interview type, and the requirements.
Gather all relevant documents ready.
This is a must, take a day or two, to make sure all the document requested is ready and placed in other, if possible, make photocopies of them too.
Be on Time (B.o.T).
Time is of the essence and first impression matters. It is not ok to keep the hiring managers waiting, it is best to be there earlier than later. Know how long it will take you from your place of residence to your interview venue, at least try to be there 30 minutes before the scheduled time.
Rehearse.
Finally, take your time to go through the interview process and rehearse all that you have learned. An interview is a process, try to understand the process and flow with it.
