Are you gearing up for a big interview for your dream job?
Any job interview can be nervewracking, but when it’s an interview for your dream job, the stakes can feel even higher. Luckily, with the right interview tips, you’ll be able to land the jobs.
What do you need to do?
Check out this guide to discover the top interview tips to land your dream job.
1. Prepare for the Most Common Interview Questions
Whether you’re applying for a job to be a teacher or an engineer, there are some questions that are asked in nearly every interview. Preparing your answers to these questions can help you land the job.
Here are some of the most common questions that get asked:
- Why are you interested in this job?
- Why are you interested in working for this company?
- Tell us a little bit about yourself (Think about this answer in three phases: What you do now, what you did before, and what you’d like to do in the future)
- Where do you see yourself in five years?
- What are your strengths?
- What are your weaknesses?
- Why do you want to leave your current job?
- How do you handle mistakes?
You don’t need to know how you’ll answer these questions word for word, but having a general idea can really help prevent you from tripping over your answers.
2. Research the Company and the Interviewers
Remember, you’re not just applying for a job- you’re applying for a job at a specific company. When you’re being interviewed, your interviewers aren’t just going to want to know why you want the job, they’re going to want to know why you want to work for them specifically.
This is why it’s so important to walk into the interview with knowledge about the company. Here are some tips for researching a company:
- Check out the company’s website, taking a close look at their mission statement and About Us section
- Check out the company’s reviews on Google and Yelp, if applicable
- Research the employee benefits that the company provides
- Scan news headlines for any red flags or positive headlines
- Check out their brand partners
- Review related news stories, business journals, and forums
When researching the interviewers, you should their names as well as their roles and responsibilities within the company.
3. Be Ready to Expound Upon Your Resume
Chances are, your resume is a big reason why you landed the interview. Therefore, you need to be prepared to back up your resume in the interview.
For example, if you mention that you have great computer skills in your resume, then be ready to explain your skills in detail. Whether you know how to merge PDF files or you know the ins and outs of Powerpoint, your interviewer is going to want you to prove that you have the skills that you say you do.
4. Anticipate the Interviewer’s Reservations
There’s a good chance that you’re not the only applicant interviewing for the job. Because of this, interviewers are always looking for ways to screen people out.
Therefore, it’s very important that you put yourself in the shoes of the interviewer and anticipate the reasons why they may not want to hire you. Then, you can prepare your counterargument.
For example, you can say something along the lines of, “I know you may be hesitant to hire me because (fill in the blank), but you should know that (give a reason why the interviewer shouldn’t be concerned”.
5. Make a List of Questions for the Interviewer
When an interviewer asks, “Do you have any questions for us”, the worst thing you can say is “no”. Interviewers appreciate their interviewees asking questions because it shows that you’re serious about the job.
Here are some questions you may want to ask your interviewer:
- What are the company’s plans and goals for the next five years?
- What’s the best thing about working here?
- How do you measure success in this position?
- What are the company’s values and how are these put into practice?
- What opportunities for growth are there?
- What will my day to day responsibilities in this role look like?
- Who will I be working closely with?
- Is there anything about my resume or background that makes you hesitant to hire me?
As you can see, there are a lot of great questions you can ask your interviewer.
6. Practice Before the Interview
It’s one thing to think about the answers to interview questions in your head, it’s another thing to say them aloud.
The first time you answer an interview question, you’re likely going to sound garbled and confused. To get the fumbles out of the way, do a few practice runs beforehand.
After practicing on your own a couple of times, ask someone close to you to do a mock interview with you and give you feedback on your answers. If you can get someone who works in your industry to conduct this mock interview, all the better.
7. Win Them Over in the First Five Minutes
While some interviews can last as long as an hour, a lot of interviewers make up their mind about a candidate in the first few minutes. Then, they spend the rest of the interview confirming this decision!
This is why it’s so important to come into the interview with energy and enthusiasm. Smile, start off with a positive comment about the company, and bring your A-game.
Interview Tips: Are You Ready to Nail Your Interview?
Now that you’ve read these interview tips, you should be ready to go. Before you know it, you’ll be working your dream job thanks to your killer interview skills.
Be sure to check back in with our blog for more interview-related tips and tricks.
