LATELY, I have been interviewing several candidates for several openings on my team, and I am discovering that most applicants nowadays do not prepare well for an interview. If at all. And it makes me wonder if they are really interested in the job or just practicing their interviewing skills. If they really want the job, they could have done more to prepare for the interview.
Navigating yourself through a job interview is one of the important skills you need to get to the top of your career development. Some may have found their dream job and stayed with it for the rest of their lives, but for most it will be from one company to the next. And to get to your dream job, the interview is the first step in finding the right fit for you. To help you prepare for the interview, there are several things you can do.
For a start, read the job description. One of the first things I ask applicants is their understanding of the role. Most of them give vague answers hoping they would impress me with using industry slang and jargon but when I press on further, they run out of things to say. Or take the case of someone saying they were referred by a friend who thinks they are good for the role without really reading what it entails. In these cases, I cut the interview short because it is apparent they are on a fishing expedition and it would be a waste of time, particularly mine, to go on.
Understanding what the role requires is the first step in making the interviewer know you are interested enough to read the job description.
After reading the job description, make a list of projects or tasks you have completed for each major requirement in the job description. This gives the interviewer a better understanding of why you are right for the position. This will also help you sell yourself and present to the interviewer a track record of your accomplishments. It will also help bolster your confidence because you are prepared, and the interviewer will see you have done your part in ensuring there is a good fit for the position.
Also, be direct to the point. When the hiring manager interviews you, they are taking a time off their routine schedule to accommodate you. Being direct to the point is a way of respecting their time but also ensuring you get your message across clearly. You can try practicing with a friend to ensure you give short but clear answers. Do not memorize your lines, however, as it will come off as robotic. Get a general idea of your answer but keep it clear and concise but not sounding rehearsed.
When I asked an applicant before why he chose our company, he said his present company has the same culture as ours. So I asked: Why leave? He stammered out an answer about similar benefits. Which brings me to another point: Know a little about the company, especially its vision, mission and core values. Researching about the company helps give the impression you are interested enough to understand what it stands for, and your personal values align with theirs. Interviewers not only have to evaluate job fit but also culture fit—how your values align with the company’s, or at the most basic, with the team’s. They will ask questions of how you handle certain situations to understand if what you will do is similar to what someone in the team might do. In this instance, be very honest. An interview is a two-way process where you both understand if there is a right fit for you to be part of the team and the company.
You also need to prepare extra copies of your résumé. Plan to bring extra copies because your HR interview can lead to a hiring manager’s interview if you fit the minimum HR requirements. You will be endorsed to the hiring manager and you want to have a clean copy of your resume because chances are, the first interviewer would have written their notes all over your resume. If you can, bring also a portfolio of your sample works. This will help the interviewer evaluate your application faster.
This goes without saying: Dress the part and be on time. Even if the company follows a casual dress code policy, dress the part for the interview. This gives off a positive impression and helps build up your confidence. Also, prepare by planning to be in the venue several minutes earlier so you do not get flustered looking for it. This will also give you time to be accustomed to the office and calm yourself before talking to the interviewer.
Last, prepare a set of questions you want to ask the interviewer. An interview is also a way for you to understand if you see yourself being part of the company, and to see a glimpse of what it is like working there. One of the questions I like is when an applicant asks me about what a typical day at the office is. I get to tell them the fun things we do in the team, as well as give a dose of the challenges we encounter. Other questions you can ask are what the interviewer enjoys about being part of the company, and what are the next steps in the application process. This gives the impression that you are really interested not just in the role, but also in the company as a whole.
The next time you get a job interview, think of it as a way of getting closer to your dream job. But to do so, you have to prepare well and understand that the interview is not so much as selling yourself but also discovering the right company for you. And when you find the right one, you have to be prepared or the chance just might pass you.