How to Prepare for the Interview

Let’s assume for the purposes of this article that you have the requisite background for the position for which you are applying, have outstanding references, and otherwise on paper meet the requirements of the position. What other things must you have?

• Know what is on your resume. In-depth. Be prepared to discuss your resume. It is ok to have it in front of you to help remind you, but if you keep looking at it during the interview, it makes you look unprepared and not confident.

• Know all about the company. This means things like recent news articles about the company, who the executives are, the company’s values (you may be able to tell from the mission and/or vision statements), what they do, how they do it, and where you fit in. Show them that you’re the perfect person to fit into their organization and why. A 20 minute website review of the company’s website prior to the interview isn’t enough.

• Along the same lines as knowing the company, be sure that you really know the position itself. If you’re changing industries, figure out if the position has differences from other industries or from the industry that you’re coming from. Check out salary ranges at similar positions in the same industry; figure out how your background, even if in another industry, or even another position, fits in with this position, and then be prepared to discuss that, in detail, making the case for your candidacy and for why you should be the person hired.

These are all very basic things, yet they are often overlooked into today’s hypercompetitive job market. However, if you use these as a foundation for your interview preparation, you may just impress the hiring manager, and land the prize: the position.

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