Today’s job market is fiercely competitive as companies have a wider selection of candidates to interview. It is up to you to prepare for each and every interview. I am continually surprised by candidates that do not do the required due diligence prior to the interview. I have listed below some common sense reminders of what to do before and during the interview.
Check out directions to where you are going and if time permits drive to the interview site prior to the interview
Investigate the company on the web including news articles, web sites and competitors
Review the job description or job advertisement
Write down the names of the individual (s) who will be interviewing you
Prepare some questions. The interviewer usually asks at the end of the interview, “Do you have any questions?†A poor answer would be “No you have explained everything†or the interviewer is met by silence. A positive answer could be “What are the short term expectations for the person in this role?â€
Or “Will the company be implementing equipment, systems or software that could impact this position?â€
Rehearse the answers that you have prepared on why you left your recent position or why are you looking
List your strengths and weaknesses and please be realistic. A weakness that might be perceived as a strength….’I tend to take on too much work’ or ‘I like to do it right’