How to Ace an Interview
Going in for an interview can be very stressful and nerve racking. The best way to prepare for an interview would be to take baby steps. These 3 pointers I am offering will help you perfect any interview you have.
Research to be in Control
Ask yourself why you are interested in interviewing for this company. What do you know about the company already? Do not go into an interview unsure of these questions because these will arise and you want to have a solid well prepared answer to impress your interviewer. Knowing history and recent media coverage about the company will help you find what you may or may not like about it. Going into an interview well prepared and knowledgeable about the company can only enhance your image and interest for the position. Discuss with your interviewer what parts of the company you are interested in and what you plan on doing there. Have a plan. Do research before.
A First Impression Only Happens Once
During an interview there are many things you should keep in mind when setting a first impression. If an interviewer does not like you off the bat becuase something about you does not seem appealing, chances are you will not get the job. Present yourself in a professional manor. When dressing for an interview, you should not wear something you would wear lounging around the house or wear going out to the city at night. You need to be cleaned up and well dressed to be taken seriously, this way the interviewer knows you are serious about wanting the job you are applying for. Wear a nice pair of pants, no jeans or sweats; and a nice top that covers your shoulders and does not show any cleavage (if you are a girl). Guys will typically wear a button down shirt, tie and jacket to an interview. Girls can get away more loosely with different attire as long as it is professional. Do not wear anything skin tight, sexy, and revealing, you will not be taken seriously. On your feet, do not wear flip flops or slippers. If you are a girl wear a nice pair of flats or heals, and a guy should have a nice well kept pair of dress shoes to go with his suit. As previously stated, first impressions are important and you do not get a second chance so the way you physically present yourself is the smallest factor you can control.
In an interview, from the moment you walk through the door everything you do will be judged. Speak clearly and annunciate on your words so that your interviewer does not have trouble hearing you. Always answer with complete sentences and do not use slang words. Say “yes” instead of “yeah” and seem confidant of your answers. If you need a few moments after you are asked a question in order to gather your thoughts, take it. An interviewer would prefer you to provide a well thought out answer that makes sense and states exactly what you want to say. Giving an answer that is impulsive may not be the best one you can provide so take a minute to gather your thoughts, just make sure it isn’t too long.
A Single Page Says A Lot
Your resume is what your interviewer will look at to ultimately decide to offer you the job you are applying for. You need to include all of your contact information (i.e. email, phone number, address) in case they have any questions and need to contact you in the future. You will place all of your prior experience on this sheet of paper. Try and limit it to one page; they do not need a novel about your life and everything you have done since you have been able to talk. Put your most important accomplishments on there. Try and keep it to things you have done within the last 3 years. It is important to keep it recent and not waste their time reading things that do not apply to what you are interviewing for. On the resume you should include previous employers, where/if you went to college (and if so what your degree is in), and any special skill you may have. If you are going for a video production job and you know how to use Final Cut Pro HD; that would be great to include. It is always good to know how to operate Microsoft Office applications such as Excel and Word since many companies use these programs.
Putting these three major points together should provide you with an interview that will never fail. Stay relaxed and remember to know your information, present yourself in a professional manor (both physically and mentally), and have a well put together resume and plan. The reason for an interview is for the interviewer to really find out who you are as a person. Even if you do not have a lot of prior experience, getting yourself out there is always the first step so do not be nervous and hope for the best!
Your resume is what your interviewer will look at to ultimately decide to offer you the job you are applying for. You need to include all of your contact information (i.e. email, phone number, address) in case they have any questions and need to contact you in the future. You will place all of your prior experience on this sheet of paper. Try and limit it to one page; they do not need a novel about your life and everything you have done since you have been able to talk. Put your most important accomplishments on there. Try and keep it to things you have done within the last 3 years. It is important to keep it recent and not waste their time reading things that do not apply to what you are interviewing for. On the resume you should include previous employers, where/if you went to college (and if so what your degree is in), and any special skill you may have. If you are going for a video production job and you know how to use Final Cut Pro HD; that would be great to include. It is always good to know how to operate Microsoft Office applications such as Excel and Word since many companies use these programs.
Putting these three major points together should provide you with an interview that will never fail. Stay relaxed and remember to know your information, present yourself in a professional manor (both physically and mentally), and have a well put together resume and plan. The reason for an interview is for the interviewer to really find out who you are as a person. Even if you do not have a lot of prior experience, getting yourself out there is always the first step so do not be nervous and hope for the best!
Heather, your writing is very organized and logical; therefore it is easy to follow. Your introduction is brief, but is all that is necessary to introduce the topic. It’s enough to get you interested and it cuts to the chase. Your use of subheadings clearly divides each pointer and all of the information that follows each is relevant to the subheading.
ReplyDeleteMoving on to your first impressions division, it’s a long winded block of text. Perhaps breaking it up into further paragraphs such as dress and communication tips could have made the piece seem less weighty. You also jump from describing girl’s dress to boy’s dress back to girls dress. I would suggest talking about the boys and then the girls rather than jumping back and forth just to avoid any confusion.
Your tone is professional yet endearing. You genuinely want your audience to succeed and it comes across in your writing. Especially in your conclusion. Also, your grammar is impeccable. Good job.
(Katie)
Hi Heather,
ReplyDeleteI thought the same things as Kate did about the organization of your article. I’ve always had a hard time gathering my thoughts my make them flow, and your thought process seems very logical here with the organization of your topics.
I also agreed with Kate that going back and forth between the girls and boys dress attire is a bit confusing, so maybe to stick with one for the whole package, and then move to the other would be easier to follow. Doing this would also break up the text to have 2 separate paragraphs to break up the long body of text.
My major question while reading this was where did you get this information from? Was this something you created single-handedly, or were you referencing a best practices or an article from a magazine? I would also have liked to maybe have some examples. Putting a “real life” scenario would make this article more relatable to the average reader, and it might put some humor in it.
Overall, a good job on capturing key elements and organization to your ideas. The presentation of your article is well done.
p.s. I have a hard time posting to your blog because it is blocked on my work computer (WordPress is not, but apparently “blogspot” is), and it doesn't accept my blog name as valid...so I’m sorry for the delay in my response.