What Are the Best Ways to Prepare for Your Interview?

A job interview is absolutely a key component of a successful job search. While every step in looking for a job matters, a great interview can make sure the job is yours. A not-so-great one, on the other hand, can make the job go to someone else.

Here are three tips on the best ways to prepare for a job interview.

1. Plan to talk about past job achievements

The best thing you can do in an interview is demonstrate that you have worked well for employers in the past and have been reliable. To do this, think through your past job achievements and plan to talk about one or two.

Most interviewers will include a question that asks you about past achievements on the job. Sometimes it will be direct, such as “what have you done that you’re most proud of in past positions?” Other times, it might be indirect. “Tell me about yourself” is a very general question, but you can use it as a springboard to talk about job achievements.

So if you were given a commendation for always showing up on time, mention that. If a past supervisor complimented your reliability, mention that. If you are a whiz at learning new software, mention that. If you work at a high speed, mention that. It can be anything that demonstrates your skills and qualities.

2. Get your interview outfit ready

It’s important to wear clothes to an interview that are clean and pressed. Their first impression matters! You should put your best foot forward. Sounds obvious, right? Until you go to your closet on interview day and find that every pair of pants you own is stained.

To make sure your clothes are clean, plan what you’re going to wear about a week or so in advance. Take them out and look at them. Look at your shoes, too. Do they need to be cleaned up or shined? If they do, clean them. If your clothes need to be cleaned, wash them or take them to a dry cleaner.

3. Map out your route to the interview

It’s very important to be on time to an interview. If you’re not, interviewers will think you might not be on time for work. They do make assumptions about your work performance based on your behavior at the interview.

Plan to arrive 15 minutes before the interview time.

So find the address of the interview about a week beforehand too. Plan how you will get there: will you be driving, or taking public transportation?

It’s a good idea to drive or take the transportation method about a week in advance as well so you can see how long it takes. Google maps, for example, might tell you it will take half an hour. With traffic, it might take you an hour. You need to know that to be on time.

Contact a Staffing Firm Today

Thinking about a new job? A staffing agency can help. We offer recent job postings and plenty of advice on how to look. We’re happy to help. Contact us today.