Going on job interviews can be extremely overwhelming. You may not know how to deal with the pressure, or know exactly what you need to do to prepare for the interview. We want you to put your best foot forward. Review our interview check list to assist you in your interview preparation.
Research the company
You should try and research everything you can about the company such as their financial well being, who is in charge, i.e. their management team, what type of product they sell or what it is exactly that they do.
A good way to search is by using the internet to get your answers on the company. Use Yahoo, Google and MSN as your search engines and they will give you pertinent information about the company that you will want to know prior to your interview.
Practice makes perfect
Sit down with a friend or a family member and have them go over some questions with you, from the easy to the hard ones. This way you won’t be caught off guard with what they may ask. If you know that there is one question in interviews that always gets you flustered, practice answering that question over and over. You can search for common interview question on the internet as well and use these as a guide for what you may be asked in the real interview.
Know what type of salary you can expect from the job
If the salary is not posted in the job description when you apply for the job, do some research on the internet as to what you can make in salary. You can go to places like http://www.salary.com to find out how much the job you are applying for would be worth. This way, when you get the job and you want to negotiate your salary you will have a range in mind of what you can make.
Extra copies
Make sure you have extra copies of your resume and references. Another thing you can do is paper clip a copy of your resume, references and a business card together so they are all in one nice stack and you can give that to the employer when you see them, even though they may already have a copy this way they will have an extra.
If you take a business card, along with your resume, then the employer won’t have to shuffle through a bunch of papers to find your resume, they will just see one card that most likely is sitting on the top of the pile or on their desk.
Take samples of work you have done in the past as well, you want your future employer to know that you are capable of the job you are doing and if you take a professional portfolio of your work then they can see what you have done.
Other miscellaneous things to do:
- Make sure to sleep well the night before your interview. If you eat breakfast it will help wake you up and stimulate your brain.
- Leave early, this will ensure that you don’t get stuck in traffic and you arrive to your interview on time.
- Make sure to turn off any electronics you may have with you. You do not want those to go off during the middle of your interview.
- Make sure you look professional when you go into the interview. Dress appropriately.
- Make eye contact with the person that is interviewing you. It will show that you are confidant and paying attention to what they are saying.
- Write a thank you note.