Feel Confident and Prepared for Your Next Interview

What to Do Before Every Interview

 “You don’t have to run faster than the bear to get away. You just have to run faster than the guy next to you.”—Jim Butcher

Just like any other skill you learned growing up… practice makes perfect. Whether you have 2 or 200 interviews under your belt, preparation is key. Here are 4 strategies to keep you feeling confident and ready for your next interview:

1.      “Mirror, Mirror on the Wall”

Sit in front of a mirror. Rehearse answers aloud. Everything can sound great in your head, but when you start speaking out loud you will discover how often you fill empty space with words such as; “Umm,” “Yeah,” “So” or ”Hmmm.” Don’t know which questions to expect from the hiring manager? A quick Google search or (better yet) look back at our previous blog on Five Common Interview Questions..Answered! will provide insight on questions you may be asked during an interview. Rehearsing beforehand will produce confident and concise responses across the table with the hiring manager.

Training in front of the mirror also allows the opportunity to work on your body language during the presentation. Are you constantly looking down? Do your facial expressions match the quality of your answers? Body language is an important, unspoken cornerstone of an interview.

2.      “Dress for Success”

Some have lucky interview outfits; i.e. a suit & tie/dress or shoes that “helped land your last job.” When was the last time you tried on those items to make sure they still fit? You may not have interviewed in over two years. Plan out each aspect of your outfit. Keep to this checklist:

·       Do Your Research – Not every company requires business professional attire. It can certainly be awkward showing up overdressed and vice versa.

·       Plan What to Wear – Have everything laid out the night before to allow for additional company research or meeting preparation.

·       Inspect Clothes - Maybe your lucky attire has stains on it and needs to be taken to the dry cleaner.

·       Iron Your Outfit – Duh.

3.      “Where Are You Going?”

Sometimes the interview isn’t in the main office. Depending on the company there are multiple locations in town, or you could be meeting with a recruiting company at their location. Make sure you know the address and parking logistics.

Traffic can play a pivotal part regarding your arrival. Always keep in mind times that traffic may affect you. For instance, an interview at 9:00AM will require an earlier departure than an interview at 2:30PM. The worst feeling is pulling up your GPS to find the drive will take 45-minutes when you only prepared for 20-minutes.

4.      Write down interview answers

We have all experienced the moments where (on the spot) our brain blanks and can’t grasp our planned answer. To help prevent this, write down adjectives to describe yourself or jot down notes about your previous experiences; phrases that will help trigger your memory.

Use these tips to dominate your next interview!

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Need additional help preparing for you next interview? You can add on a mock interview or interview coaching to any of our packages. Find out more about our services and packages HERE.