Job Interview

Your outfit should project professionalism. Even if you are interviewing for a position in a company with a casual work environment, you should look polished.

Find out what the company’s dress code is before your interview so you can match it.

If you are commuting by public transportation, you may want to pack your interview shoes and change into them when you get there. If it’s a hot day, make sure that you won’t overheat on your way to the interview. Remember that it is okay to be a bit overdressed for your interview, but being underdressed makes it seem like you don’t take the interview process seriously.

It’s entirely possible that during your interview, you will be asked a technical question that you don’t know the answer to, or you will feel that your interview isn’t going well.

Don’t panic! Interviewers don’t expect you to know everything. It is far better to you show a willingness and desire to learn than to be a know-it-all—employers will see through your false confidence.

It’s normal to feel nervous, but don’t let it derail your entire interview. If you start to feel nervous, concentrate on your breathing, relax, and remind yourself that you are competent and in control.

If you are enthusiastic about the position and company that you are interviewing for, show it!

Interviewers want to know that you are excited about the opportunity to work at their company. Be sure to mention a few key reasons that you want the job.

Remember perks such as free parking or catered lunches can be nice, these are not legitimate reasons for wanting to work at a company.

Focus on positives such as the company’s stellar reputation for customer service, employee satisfaction, and innovation.

At your interview you will be asked questions relating to your technical knowledge, work experience, and work-related behaviors. Employers want to know how you act in a variety of situations in the workplace.

Before your interview, prepare a list of examples of successes as well as experiences that allowed you to learn something new.

You should answer questions according to the STAR method: state the situation, describe the task you undertook, elaborate on the actions that you took, and describe the results.

When you go for an interview, you should be able to discuss the company’s clients, products, services, and market share.

You should know who the key players are and you should be aware of any recent important developments.

Devote some time before your interview to gathering this basic information and you will impress your interviewers with your understanding of their company.

In today’s interconnected world, many employers do a background check on potential employees by checking their social media accounts. At the very least, you should set your accounts to private.

Ideally, you shouldn’t have any controversial or embarrassing material on your social media accounts at all—this includes revealing photos, photos involving excess amounts of alcohol consumption, or politically controversial posts.

The last thing you want is to feel rushed for time during your interview or to have to decline a lunch invitation from your interviewers because you have a prior commitment.

In addition to the interview itself, you may be asked to complete a task or give a presentation. You may also be referred to human resources for another interview, or another manager may want to ask you a few questions.

Set aside a sizable chunk of your day for the interview in order to account for these factors.

We all know that body language reflects what you are thinking, but did you know that your body language can actually affect how you feel?

Avoid looking at your phone before your interview—hunching over and gazing down at your phone can lead to feeling less confident.

During your interview, make sure that you sit up straight, look your interviewers in the eye and give them a firm handshake.

Just as the hiring managers want to find a candidate who is suitable for the open position, you must also find out if the job is a good fit for you.

The best way to do this is to ask questions during your interview about the job itself and the company culture.

Ask your interviewers what they are looking for in the role and if there are any details they could give you that weren’t provided in the job description.

This is a crucial step that many job seekers miss. While a thoughtful thank you note won’t make an employer hire an employee who is ill-suited for a role, it can tip the scales in your favor if you are neck-and-neck with another candidate.

Ideally, you should send your interviewer a thank you note on the same day; if snail mail isn’t an option, an e-mail is okay too.