5 Helpful Tips To Ace An Interview

Congratulations, you got the interview! Are you prepared to Ace it? Most managers we have consulted with have told us that they have been severely disappointed by the candidates who appeared perfect on paper but did not live up to their expectations during the interview.

This happens because many people simply do not spend the necessary time to prepare! Preparation is vital because it helps you to know how to openly share the areas of your background that are most relevant to the position, and to your prospective employer. Preparation also helps you relieve the stress so you can walk into the interview confident and relaxed, which is important if you want to land the job!  

Here are five helpful tips to help you prepare before your next job interview to improve your comfort level, so you can show them exactly why you are perfect for the job. 

1. Research, research, research!

It goes without saying that you should find out everything you can about your potential place of employment ahead of time. But we don’t mean just boring facts, history, and figures! Visit their social media pages to see if you can gather a feel for their overall culture, dress code, outings, events, etc. Little tidbits of information about how the company operates their day-to-day internal operations really help you get aligned with their company culture ahead of time, and will instantly portray to the employer that you would be a good fit, which is what they are looking for in the first place.

2. Know Who Is Interviewing You!

Do your best to find out who you will be meeting with, whether it is an HR rep, your potential boss, or the company director. This is important to know because the interview answers and topics should vary based on the person you are speaking with, and by knowing who you will be talking to, you can think about how to connect with them during the interview.  For example, a company’s executive will be focused on the larger picture, so you would want to focus on talking about a few big results, instead of small projects you have worked on. In contrast, if you’re talking with your potential supervisor you will want to show exactly how you plan to operate the day-to-day responsibilities of the job. 

3. Let Your Personality Shine!

If you made it this far, then you obviously did a great job impressing the interviewers with your outlined skills and accomplishments on your resume and cover letter. On top of wowing them with your experience and education, try to also sprinkle some of your personality into the conversation. This helps the interviewer to assess if you would get along with other employees and are a good overall candidate for the company. 

4. Ask Questions!!

You may already know that asking questions is essential during an interview, but you may not know that you should not leave them all until the end. During the interview, you should be actively engaged in discussion, so do your best to ask questions naturally, as the topics surface. You may also find that some questions will be answered as the interview unfolds, so try to come prepared with at least 10 questions ahead of time. At the end of the interview, always ask the housekeeping type questions, such as “When will you be making your hiring decision?”

5. Say yes to the glass of water!
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If your interview is in person, you may be offered tea, coffee, water, pop, whatever…TAKE IT! Even if you only take a few sips, always say yes to the offer of a beverage! This is important because it will help you stay relaxed, and after 30 minutes of talking, you will be so glad you did! Not only that, but accepting the drink is the natural thing to do. When you visit a friend’s home you have no problem taking a refreshing glass of water and doing the same during your job interview will show them that you are confident enough to be comfortable sharing 40+ hours per week with them. 
Interviews are a big deal! Just remember to relax, know the company, and shine bright like the diamond you are! 
If you need more assistance to prepare for an upcoming interview, please contact us! We offer extensive industry-specific Professional Interview Preparation checklists, support, packages and practice opportunities, to help you reach your highest potential and land that amazing job!