Three top tips for a successful job interview! Are you ready?

1. Preparation is the key of a
successful job interview
Susana Hesser-Galaz
5/6/15

2. When you get a call from a company you were waiting for, and they finally tell you that
they are interested to interview you, you can be very happy; although, you might be very
worried about how it will be. Probably you don’t know what they will ask you or what to say
or don’t say. As my experience for more than ten years as a recruiter, I saw many great
candidates rejected because they didn’t prepare for the job interview and they felt very
frustrated because they don’t know what was wrong. It is possible to achieve a successful job
interview by following three main steps: preparing the resume, collecting information from
the company you apply to, and getting ready for the day of the interview.

3. The first thing to do is preparing and memorizing your resume because it will
help you to answer specific questions during the interview. It doesn’t matter if you
have already sent it to the company; you need to review the resume to make sure you
don’t miss anything important or relevant for the position. Check the date (year or
month) of all events on the resume and correct any grammar mistakes. It is a very bad
impression if you are not able to remember your own career since the interviewer
probably will think you don’t care. You can ask yourself some questions to help you
remember; for example, why and when did you change yours jobs? How many years you
were in all positions? When and why you were promoted? Don’t forget to bring a
spotless hard copy of your resume with you to the day of the interview because you may
need it!

4. Another important thing to do is researching and collecting information about
the company you apply to; thus, it will help you to prepare questions and to get a
good impression from the interviewer. Not many people do this step, and it brings a lot
useful information. Collect all the information about history, mission, vision, news, and
everything you can get from different channels. Also, ask people you may know from the
company or, those who were working there. Ask them what they think about the
company. You can also use social media such as “Linked In” to contact your network. Once
you have all the information, write down pros and cons, what you like and dislike about
the company, and advantages and disadvantages. Ask yourself what you could offer to
the company and what they could offer you.The interviewer may ask you this question.

5. Finally, preparing the day of the interview will allow you to be more relaxed and to get the best from
your profile. You can make a list of more common questions about job interviews, researching from the
Internet. Once you have the questions, prepare the answers, write them down if it helps you. Remember
you don’t need to give answers too short or too long. Be honest, positive, clear, and specific. Don’t say more
than the interviewer asks you because s/he probably has time set up for the interview, so they will ask you
just what they need to know. Some people get too nervous about interviews. You can relax the day before,
doing some relaxing activities such as yoga, running, or sauna, anything that makes you feel more relaxed.
A good technique to relax is breathing and visualizing; after breathing deeply close your eyes and visualize
yourself being confident and having a great experience during the interview. You can do this each of the
days before the interview. You should prepare also how to get to the place where it will be and your outfit,
thinking what kind of position you are applying to. You can ask someone working in similar positions to
make sure. If you are not sure, be more formal than informal.

6. In conclusion, preparing is very important; in fact, 90% of success is about preparation.
Would you like to be rejected because you didn’t prepare for your interview, or would
you like to get the job you were dreaming of? In my own experience, I saw a clear
difference in candidates who prepared for the interview and those who didn’t. The ones
who do get a very good impression from the company, it means they care and the
interview is important for them however, the ones don’t get the opposite impression.
Even having a good impression if your profile doesn’t fit with the position you are
applying to, the company will keep your profile for future vacancies. Therefore, are you
going to have a successful interview?