Finding a job is hard, but what compounds the difficulty is going to several different interviews before landing a job. Practice makes perfect, but interviewers from different companies have different styles and ask different questions during interviews, so really how can you prepare for it? I am a recruiter by profession and have seen all kinds of candidates from the nervous and unsure ones to the overly-confident and brash ones. For those who need a confidence boost, here are some things that I want you to know to help you better prepare for an interview.
1.) We don’t store your embarrassing moments in our long-term memories.
We don’t interview just one person a day, and we do not discuss the whole interview for the whole eight hours that we are at work. We do other things, too, like post jobs, complete reports, and prepare for meetings. Do not be too self-conscious during an interview. If you end up sneezing ten times during an interview, chances are that we might not even remember after the day ends. Do not get obsessed that we may be watching out for every tiny detail in your body language.
2.) We want you to read our website.
Please do not go into battle unprepared. You should know the enemy, and in the case of an interview, please know the company the you are interviewing for. Read what their vision and mission are and read current events that they have been involved in. Why would you want to be part of something that you do not know about? If you do not know why, it will definitely show during the interview.
3.) Do read different interview questions and prepare answers for them.
Preparation is the biggest thing. If in case you do not get the job, at least you can say to yourself that you did your best. The best way to prepare is to scan through a list of different interview questions and mentally (or aloud) rehearse. Much better would be to write down your answers. That way, when one of those questions comes up during the interview, you won’t be left scrambling for an answer.
4.) Know what the job’s duties and responsibilities are.
Before going to an interview, find out as much as you can about what you will be doing if you get the job. Read the job description that was posted and if anything seems vague to you, you should ask about it during the interview. That way everything is transparent. Transparency in the job interview can save you from issues that could arise if you do get the job.
5.) Know what we do as a company and what you can do for our company.
Please do not show up for an interview and not have an idea how you can be an asset to the company, or not know why we should hire you. Applying for a job is pitching yourself to get hired, just as in sales. While you should do your best sales pitch during an interview, you should also stick to the facts and do not oversell yourself. Too much confidence and stretching the truth about what you really can do will turn off recruiters.
6.) We get nervous, too.
We do know that there are other options out there such as better-paying jobs, better-known companies, and companies with better work environments. In the back of our minds, we know that there is a chance that you might not accept our offer if we decide to hire you. As much as you are trying to please recruiters, we are trying to please you, too.
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