5 Crucial Interview Preparation Tips
17 Jun, 2022
These tips are the key to preparing for a successful interview and will ultimately make you stand out amongst other candidates.
It is very important to remember that an interview actually starts long before you leave your house. Apart from the off chance that the person you are swearing at in traffic the morning before your interview is, in fact, your interviewer, there is more preparation to do before the interview than you might realise:
- Plan your route. Make sure that you know exactly where the interview is. Make sure you know how long it will take to get there if traffic runs smoothly, and then add half an hour just in case because loadshedding is a reality. WAZE is a great app to plan your route and determine the best time to leave to reach your destination on time.
- Google them. Most interviewers will start a conversation by welcoming you and asking if you know anything about their company. It is always impressive when a candidate seems to already be invested in the company with knowledge of the company. In the very least, your dedication and diligence will form part of the first impression you leave behind if it is clear that you have done some "homework". Whereas a company's website will provide you with valuable information about the company's products and services, their social media pages will provide insight into company culture and social involvement. A quick hashtag search including the company name will also bring up valuable information from their employees' perspective. Do a quick search for the company on Google and on LinkedIn to see if you can get articles about the company's achievements, awards and milestones. Keep this in your arsenal and ask a question about it towards the end of the interview.
- Try to stop life from getting in the way of your interview. You should ideally have your mindset in a calm and collected space. Life happens, and sometimes crazy things happen right before an interview, which throws you off your game. Plan ahead and try to organize the other events of the interview day around the interview as much as you can. This is why it is crucial to give yourself some extra time so that you can find a quiet spot to collect yourself, calm your thoughts, focus and breathe. The worst thing to do is to rush in after a chaotic morning with your blood pressure through the roof and hardly able to catch your breath.
- Research your Interviewers. You are allowed to ask who you will be meeting with, so see if you can track down the interviewers on LinkedIn or elsewhere on the web. One of the most successful ways of connecting with people is to find common ground. Their online presence will give you valuable (and acceptably professional) information about where they studied, what they studied, the career path that lead them to their current position and other professionals or causes you might have in common.
- Your Recruiter is your best friend. Your recruiter knows their client well so ask them for any helpful tips specific to the company or interviewers, information on the dress code, the culture as well as advise on how to nail the interview.
