Preparing for an Interview: A Foolproof Guide

Everyone gets nervous before a job interview. There's a lot on the line.

Preparation can help to ease your nerves, as you'll feel confident in your skills and your ability to answer the questions. Your homework can also help you to seem even more committed to the job, and that could make you rise to the top of the consideration list.

In this guide, we've pulled together our best tips and tricks concerning:

• Company research
• Common questions
• Phone interviews
• Callback interviews
• Group interviews
• Working interviews
• Rehearsing
• What to bring along

Read through this guide to find out just how to wow the team and land the job you've been longing for.

It's crucial to determine where the company is located so you can get to your appointment on time. But to really prepare for your interview, you'll need to dig a little deeper into what the company does, what the employees believe in, and how the community responds to the work.

Managers should tell their employees all about the company's goals, aspirations, and cultural touchstones. Few do. According to consultants, just 14% of employees understand the direction and strategy of the companies they work for.

A company's loss is your gain.

Dig into the company's website and look for:

• Mission statements
• Annual reports
• Stakeholder reports
• Press releases
• Blog posts

Ask yourself:

• What new equipment or job positions are they investing in?
• Are they making money?
• Are they getting new clients?
• How do they want the community to feel about them?
• How are they preparing for the next year?

If you can't find these answers on the company website, don't despair. Some companies are tightlipped about their goals and strategies as they worry about competitors stealing their best ideas.

These same companies may drop hints all over social media, and according to Statista, more than 90% of brands are active on Facebook, Instagram, and similar sites. Follow the companies and look over their posts for clues about success, culture, and clients.

During your interview, sprinkle bits of your research into your conversation. You could cite a recent success, discuss a client review, or talk about an acquisition. Each mention proves that you're already invested in the company.

We all want to be unique. Unfortunately, that's impossible. Even the smartest interviewer must lean on tried-and-true questions to come to an employment decision. The wording may vary, but the intent is similar.

Most interviewers ask variants of these questions:

1. How would you describe yourself?
2. What makes you uniquely qualified for this job?
3. Why do you want to work here?
4. Where do you see yourself in five years?
5. What's your greatest strength?
6. What's your greatest weakness?
7. What do you like the most about your current job?
8. What do you dislike the most about your job?
9. What are your salary expectations?
10. Do you have any questions?

You'll see blog posts galore that offer guidance about how to answer every one of these questions. If you're absolutely unsure of what to say, reading those entries can give you a basic understanding of the purpose of each query.

But remember that this is your interview. The team doesn't want to hear a practiced, generic, and bland response. They want to know about you and what makes you special and perfect. Every answer should tell them more about you, not about blog posts.

Your answer should follow this basic framework:

• Restatement. Repeat key parts of the question. Demonstrate that you've both heard and understood the query.
• Complete answer. Answer the question with active verbs and plenty of descriptive phrases.
• Examples. Outline a moment during your career that exemplifies the answer you gave.

Here's how that might sound in response to the question, "What makes you qualified?"

"Let me tell you why I'm qualified for this job. I hold a bachelor's degree in this field, and I've worked in the industry for over 10 years. I've consistently earned high marks in performance reviews, and my manager tells me it's time to seek out a leadership position. This job is just what I've been looking for."

See? You can make your answer impactful and concise.

An in-person interview is a commitment, and if a company pulls in 10 to 15 applicants, the hiring team may not have the time to sit down with each hopeful candidate. Phone interviews help to cut down the field, and that helps the team focus on the top performers.

Your phone interview begins the moment the interviewer starts dialing, experts say, and that means your preparation should include:

• Voicemail hygiene. Include your name, your number, and a brief greeting. Opt out of slang, music, or other distractions.
• Consistent habits. Pick up the call every time your phone rings. It's best to be available when recruiters want to reach you.
• Answer with confidence. You never know when the important call will come. Answer your phone just as you would while at work.
• Don't be afraid to reschedule. You need a quiet, calm place to focus during a phone interview. If the call comes at an inconvenient time, list a few other options that would work for you.
• Be professional. Talk slowly, be clear, and use good grammar. Your interviewer only has your voice to go on, so make every moment count.

A phone interview is typically shorter than an in-person talk. You might only answer the basics about your availability, salary, and requirements. Perform well here, and you’ll move to the next interview level.

Ace your phone interview, and you're likely to meet your caller in person. Callback interviews let you meet with either one or several people at the company to talk about you and your job prospects in detail.

In some companies, you'll have just one in-person interview. In others, you'll have several. Most will follow a basic five-stage program.

1. Introduction. You'll meet everyone scheduled to talk with you, and you'll have a chance to introduce yourself. Your appearance will be scrutinized at this step, as might the firmness of your handshake. If you're applying for a sales or client-facing job, this moment is crucial. Make sure you look professional and seem friendly.
2. Small talk. You'll chitchat for a moment or two about the weather, the office, or your trip to it. The team is assessing culture fit and friendliness here. Be your best, relaxed self.
3. Their questions. Here's the meat of the interview, where the team asks all the queries they have prepared.
4. Your questions. You'll have a chance to ask a question or two of your own. Don't miss out on this opportunity. Your questions demonstrate how much you know about the company and how much you want to join it.

Wrap up: You'll likely shake hands with everyone on the team, and someone will escort you out of the facility. The interview is still happening here, so remember to keep your friendly and professional vibe going.

The Society for Human Resource Management says companies hoping to hire many people all at once should use group interviews. They aren't common to all industries, but if you're applying for a startup, new department, or new branch, they could be part of your path to employment.

During your group interview, you might:

• Answer questions. The queries that work in a one-on-one interview can work here too.
• Complete projects. You might have a small problem to solve with others, or you might have a task to do together.
• Pair up. You might do role play work with one person.

Technically, the other people in this room represent the competition, but your employer might think of them as your future colleagues. Demonstrating a willingness to collaborate, communicate, and solve problems can help you stand out. Insulting others, cutting them off, or demeaning their work isn't wise.

Most companies won't let you work until you've filled out paperwork, been through a background check, and officially become part of their workforce. But there is one exception. If you're hired as a temp worker, you might have a working interview.

Temp jobs are becoming commonplace. According to research cited by NBC, about 2% of all non-farm jobs in the United States are temp jobs.

If you're a temp, your placement company is your employer until one of your gigs moves into a permanent format. Your interview process might involve working with colleagues for a few days until you get the formal job offer.

Every working interview is different, depending on the industry and the position. But in most cases, you'll want to demonstrate your:

• Competence. The employer wants to ensure you know how to do the work.
• Collaboration. Can you solve problems and connect with teammates?
• Speed. Do you pick things up quickly, or will you need a lot of supervision?
• Kindness. Do others generally want to work with you?

It's never a good idea to wing it during a job interview. There's too much on the line to walk in underprepared. But there's a fine line between getting ready and getting worried.

Yes, you should:

• Research the company.
• Walk through answers to basic questions.
• Examine the job description carefully.
• Parse your resume and look for additional questions they might ask.
• Plot your route to the location.

No, you shouldn't:

• Take time away from your current job to prepare.
• Stay up all night rehearsing every possible answer.
• Memorize your best responses.

This is a conversation, and you'll want to be ready to talk without seeming robotic or neurotic. Prepare enough to feel confident and then relax.

When the interview day arrives, you'll need to bring a few items along to the talk. They'll help you prepare for anything unusual that might happen as the talk unfolds.

Bring your:

• Resume. You've probably given copies to the hiring manager, but it's best to have a few others available in case yours is misplaced.
• Portfolio. Samples of your work can help you make your points clearly.
• Pen and paper. Jot down the names of your interviewers and a few insights from your talk as soon as the interview is over.
• Water. Your mouth might get dry as you talk. A sip of water can help, and some companies won't offer you any.
• Phone on mute. You'll need to be available in case the team needs to reschedule, but make sure it won't beep or ping while you're talking.

You probably know this, but you'll need to dress for success. Aim to dress up one level from the standard outfits employees wear. If they dress in business casual, you'll need to be in full business dress. If they aim for casual, business casual is right for you. No matter what you wear, make sure it’s clean, pressed, and odor-free.

You're prepared to knock this interview out of the park. But if it doesn't go well, don't worry. We aggregate job listings from some of the biggest online job boards, and we'll show you the best choices based on your location, industry, and job preference. Check out our site, and you're sure to find something that's just right for you.

References

Only 14 Percent of Employees Understand Their Company's Strategy and Direction. (May 2012). Blanchard Leader Chat.

Social Media Marketing Usage Rate in the United States from 2013 to 2019. Statista.

Phone Interview: A Recruiter Explains Why 90 Percent of Candidates Fail. (April 2013). HR Nasty.

Interviewing: When Would an Employer Use a Group Interview Technique? Society for Human Resource Management.

Temp Work Now a Permanent Fixture, Creating Problems for 'Invisible' Workforce. (August 2017). NBC.