Seven Steps for a Great Interview

One job posting and a slew of potential candidates. You were one of the lucky ones who secured an interview. How do you make sure to take the most advantage of the opportunity?

Lock down the interviewer before it is over through proper preparation. Proper interview preparation involves being prepared both mentally and physically. Before you go on your interview make sure you do the following:

1. Get a good nights rest the night before. Nobody likes to interview someone who looks like they haven’t been sleeping and has bags under his/her eyes.

2. Research the company and position thoroughly. Make sure to read though the job description, check out the companies website, have questions prepared, and know what it is they are looking for in the right candidate.

3. Know who you are interviewing with. A good idea would be to look the managers name up on LinkedIN and research what they do before you meet with them. Then you have a good idea who they are and what a good match to their team will be.

4. Brush up on the skills needed for the job. Make sure these skills are represented on your resume. You never want to have something listed on your resume, be asked about it, and not know how to answer. Instant interview killer.

5. Dress professionally for the interview. Make sure your attire matches the expectation of someone taking an interview seriously.

6. Seal the deal. When the interview is wrapping up and you have a chance to ask questions you should be locking down the interview.

Ask what the top three qualities they are looking for in the ideal candidate would be. Once you know these, use this to relate how your experience and expertise relate to these skills and how it makes you’re a good fit.

Example:

“From what I gather you are looking for an employee who has worked with Excel in the past, is detail oriented, and has worked with accounting systems. I feel I would be a great fit for this position because I have extensively used excel for reporting purposes in my most recent position. Additionally, I created my own spreadsheets to keep my self organized and to track details that could otherwise be forgotten. Finally, I have worked with the Great Plains accounting system two years ago with ABC Company by…”

Ask if there was anything that the interviewer heard from you that he/she thinks would be a weakness. You can then clear the air on this if you have experience with something they thought you lacked. Likewise, if they mention something you are missing that you have similar experience with you can relate your experience to that specific detail and show that you would pick up on it quickly.

You might also consider asking how you compare to other candidate they have interviewed. This may also help you to determine how stand with the company and would give you a chance to ask the question about your strengths or weaknesses for this position.

7. Make sure to thank the interviewer for his/her time. Always send a thank you letter if possible.

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