You landed the interview. Awesome!
Now let’s make sure you do your best. Here are a few things to not only consider but use to help you shine:
1. It’s not all about dress, non-verbal communication, and bringing your resume:
Of course dressing professionally, paying attention to how you speak, and displaying eagerness, openness, and enthusiasm through your posture and mannerisms is important… but it’s far from everything. (And if someone tells you that’s all you need to worry about, they haven’t interviewed for many jobs or been in charge of hiring.)
How you act, and how you say things, certainly matters – but what you say is the true difference-maker. Say it with me: “The three most important things about an interview are content, content, and content.”
2. Hiring managers want to know that you know you.
This is the first of two ways you can really make a great impression. Many interviewers start by asking you to talk a little about yourself, or to talk about why you want the job, or to explain why you’re interested in working for their organization.
Be ready to talk about who you are, why you’re passionate about the work involved, and what you will bring to the team.
Tweet This
It’s your job to know and share those things – it’s not the interviewer’s job to draw them out of you.
The same holds true for the entire interview. Hiring managers look for a narrative – a story that highlights who you are in addition to your experiences, goals, education, and achievements. More and more hiring managers focus on character, integrity and work ethic because they know that while the company can train you to do the job, a great attitude is impossible to teach.
3. Use reflection as your secret weapon.
What does interviewing have to do with reflection?
Everything. If you don’t spend time to reflect on all of your experiences that relate to the job, you will not be able to impress a hiring manager. Taking time to think – really think – about why you’re a great fit lets you prepare better, lets you focus better, and will make you feel a lot less nervous and a lot more confident during the interview.
4. Prove to hiring managers that you have the skills.
Even so, skills are really important. That’s why the second way to really make a great impression is to be the most prepared candidate the interviewer will see. Make it your goal to be the most prepared person in the room: know the company website better, the job description better, the company’s brand better… and use that knowledge to highlight why you are a great fit.
How do the company’s values and missions align with the job description – and how do the company’s values and missions align with your values and your experience?
It’s your job to identify the most important skills in the job description and then highlight the experience you have that relates to those skills.
5. Practice the right way.
Practice does not make perfect, especially with interviewing. Deliberate practice makes perfect. Deliberate practice – rehearsing, reflecting, getting feedback, and rinsing and repeating –makes perfect.
Never go into an interview without having practiced both in private and with the career center, a contact in the field, or a faculty member. Once the real interview is over, you’ll definitely be glad you did.
About the Author
Leave a Comment