5 Tips for Interview Success

It’s a new year and if you are in the market for a new career or job – I am here to help you make the best first impression!   

You have tailored and submitted your resume along with a cover letter, had a phone call with someone from the human resources/talent acquisition team describing the position and expectations, and set a time to interview with the company of your dreams. You arrive early the day of  and sign in, fly your way through all your scheduled interviews, and wait patiently for a phone call to come your way with good news. Right?

Half – Right… Applying for a position with a company goes beyond just the interview day. It is everything leading up to AND after the interview session. Here are few tips and pointers to not only be an great candidate but also to impress your hiring manager.

Do Your Research.
Do your research on the company with which you have the interview. Take note of how the company was started and some of the major accomplishments. What is the company known for? Is it their brand, products, service, etc? Look at some of the reviews of the job and culture points from social media channels.  This will also help you to craft an image of whether or not you can see yourself working there.

Practice makes Perfect!
Practice, Practice, Practice! Look up popular interview questions that you can review and answer on your own time before your scheduled interview day. Here are some places to check out to get you started:

100 Top Job Interview Questions – Monster.com
10 Tough Interview Questions and Ten Great Answers – CollegeGrad.com
50 Most Common Interview Questions – GlassDoor.com

Make sure that you are answering the question rather than beating around the bush. Be clear and concise with your answers. *Disclaimer: The hiring team may not ask you anything from the lists above.

Q & A.
After practicing how to answer questions – come up with some questions to ask the hiring team as well. Questions are a great way to probe any good or bad points you noticed during your research. This is not only an interview of you as a candidate of the role, but it is also an interview of the company and your perfect fit. A few standard questions are:

Can you describe your typical work day?
What is the most important thing I should accomplish in my first 60 days?
What can you tell me about the job that isn’t part of the job description?
How many people are on the team?

Make sure that you not only ask questions – you take notes of the responses from the hiring team.  This is good practice and a great resource after your interview day.

Look Great!
You are on a job interview so make sure that you are dressed accordingly. First impressions are everything. Dressing for an interview does not mean expensive clothing or automatically mean a suit. What it DOES mean is that your ensemble should reflect that of the industry you are entering as well as your own personal style. Consider all pieces of your clothing, accessories, shoes, makeup and even hair when you are prepping. Look appropriate for your age and profession and make sure the fabric is not wrinkled, transparent and stain-free. One of the best pieces of advice I have ever received is ” Dress for the job you want, not for the job you have.“

Mind your Manners.
After the interviews are completed – you should send either a thank you email or a written thank you note to each person you sat with. The notes you took during the question and answer period will come in handy here as you should insert some of the discussion points you had with each person on the hiring team. It is a great follow-up and leaves the hiring team with a fantastic impression of your overall interview.

It is important to remember to breathe and stay relaxed during your scheduled time. The interview should run like a smooth conversation rather than an investigation. The hiring manager determines whether you are the right fit for the role and the company so it is important to display your qualifications.

I hope that these tips will give you a boost for your next interview. Comment below if you have any other great tips. Good luck and thanks for stopping by!

Top | Banana Republic Cardigan, Similar Here (currently on sale!),
Elodie Checker Halter, Similar Here
Bottom | Ann Taylor Pencil Skirt (old), Similar Here
Shoes | Nine West Booties, Similar Here
Accessories | Loft Stacked Bangles (c/o Birthday Gift), Similar Here