Five Tips on How to Prepare for a Job Interview

The saying is, “Searching for a Full-Time Job IS a Full-Time Job in itself,” and in my opinion, that saying is 100% true. Job hunters spend a lot of time searching for jobs online, submitting resumes, and driving around town to job interviews but job seekers unfortunately, dont spend enough time to prepare for a job interview.

I can remember countless times where Ive interviewed someone and asked them, “What do you know about my company?” I can easily say that about 50% of applicants had no clue what my company was all about.

With that being said, here are five tips on how you should prepare for a job interview that anyone can master.

Tip #1 – Research- Most companies now have websites that provide a wealth of information about their background. Take it a step further and try to find the company on social media outlets such as Facebook, Twitter, and/or LinkedIn. The night before your interview, spend 20-30 minutes researching the companys history, mission, news releases, culture, promotions, products, and services. The interviewer will be impressed that you took the time to learn about them.

Tip #2 – Know Thy Resume - Study your resume and know it inside and out. Theres nothing worse than not knowing whats written on your resume and having to constantly stare down to your resume when digging for answers. You wrote your resume so you should know it well!

Tip #3 – Dress to Impress - Dont wait until the last minute to find something to wear. Ive seen dozens of candidates come to interviews wearing a shirt so wrinkled that it looked like it was rolled up in a ball. Additionally, as I mentioned under Tip #1, know the companys culture. Dont wear a suit if youre going to interview with an action sports or surf company. At the same time, dont wear a shorts & sandals if youre going to interview with a financial services firm.

Tip #4 – Timeliness - You can never have a second first impression. Dont show up late to a job interview! If you live in a city where traffic is heavy, leave early! If you live in a city with bad weather, leave early! Regardless if you have GPS in your car, print a hard copy of the directions in case your GPS dies on you. If you have time, a day before your interview, do a dry run and drive by their office. That way, you limit any risk in having a hard time finding the location on the day of your interview. Ive seen people show up late to an interview and boy did they look frazzled!

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Five Tips on How to Prepare for a Job Interview