When it comes to preparing for an interview, there are a few things to keep in mind. Interviews can be a stressful endeavour, so it’s important to prepare for them beforehand. Here are a few tips to prepare for an interview.
- Prepare a concise biography of yourself and examples of your experience that you can relate to the job applied during the interview.
- Read and get an understanding of the job description so that you have some ideas about what skills or knowledge they might ask from you during your interview process.
- Be prepared for all the questions they might ask, i.e. from work history, soft skills, strengths and weaknesses, ways you overcome the weaknesses, etc.
- Familiarize yourself with the company’s website, social media outlets, and their mission statement so you can answer questions about what they stand for and what they do well. if you have any questions about something, mark them down and ask before the interview ends (and it’ll make you look less like someone who attends a “walk-in-interview”).
- Be honest – even if your honest answer doesn’t seem like it’d be able to land you in trouble, there’s always a chance they’ll run with what you say.
- Stay calm and smile. You’ll probably be stressed when it comes to interviewing time, but if you can put on a calm and confident facade, it’ll show in your performance and people will notice. If you can’t, be honest about your nerves and anxiety by sharing with the interviewer about your feelings. Most interviewers will appreciate your honesty and you make take the interval to have some deep breathes before you start talking again.
- Don’t be shy about asking questions, especially when they relate to the job. However, do not ask about benefits or salary unless the interviewer brings it up first.
- And lastly, Get a good night’s sleep the night before. Make sure you’re well-fed and well-hydrated too. Your body needs sufficient rest to produce both blood and oxygen, which it’ll need when your nerves are on edge for the day.
Good luck with your interview!
This article is written by:
Angel Lim @ Anradus Pte Ltd.
Industrial & Organizational Psychologist
MTMA, MTPA, APAM
