You need to prep for an interview. I am not talking about just prepping for the possible questions that they might ask. By preparation, here I mean, you need to research and understand the company and role in greater detail. I hope before applying, you did some of this before submitting your résumé. Leading up to the interview, though, you need to dive deeper to get a better understanding of the company. Recruiters and hiring managers love when potential candidates demonstrate a good understanding of the role and company. If someone is prepared, it helps show interviewers, that the candidate is interested in this role, while also highlighting aspects of how they might approach work, if hired or promoted.
The Basic Approach – Company Website
Spend time on the company’s website, getting a thorough background on the company. Going in, you should easily be able to identify what the company does and why they do it. Ensure you also know some important details about the company’s history: founders, significant milestones, key countries, or new markets they are in, awards they have won. The best section to find a lot of that information is on the company About section of their website. If you go into an interview without understanding the business, even at a high-level, you’re doomed to miss out on the nuances behind specific questions asked.
Get a Deeper Dive
To understand the company even better, it would make a world of difference if you bought or used their service before. I’m always amazed at how many people don’t do this before interviewing with a company. When I graduated from university, my first role was working with Enterprise Rent-A-Car. When the first interview was scheduled, I immediately rented a car from them to better understand the possible experience I might be signing up for. I wanted to see the culture of the branch, the experience from the customer’s perspective, and whether what they did was something I wanted to be associated with. Renting a car with them also helped during the interview process, as I was able to share my experiences.
Whenever I have interviewed candidates to join one of my teams, I always ask the applicant what they know about the company and whether they have used our products or services. It’s my way of knowing their approach to interviewing prep. Those who have are more engaged and tend to be a better fit than someone who knows nothing. You can learn a lot about a company and their culture before an interview, buying one of their products, or using their services. Perhaps you will see improvement opportunities that you would like to pitch during your interview. Or, alternatively, it might help solidify your passion and interests in working with them.
Review Sites Like Glassdoor
It would help if your interview prep involved looking at websites such as Glassdoor. Much like purchasing a product on Amazon, a site like Glassdoor can provide you with a wealth of information about the company. There are employee reviews, interview questions, salary considerations, CEO scores, and more all at your fingertips. Hear first-hand from employees, past and present, about what the culture of the organization is really like. You’ll understand more about the pros and cons of working there. You might also gain great insight into potential questions that other candidates have experienced previously going through the interview process.
Lastly, you will also obtain valuable information about the salary and wage information. This tends to be an awkward part of an interview, so reviewing a site like Glassdoor where past and present employees may choose to share their wage information can be incredibly valuable. The last thing you want to do is underprice or overprice yourself when or if a question comes up about your compensation expectations. As part of your interview prep, think about how you might answer this question.
Check Out the Company on Social Media
Also, be sure to review their social media profiles when completing your interview prep. If they have a LinkedIn page, it will help if you familiarized yourself with it too. Perhaps some recent posts are showing more of the cultural side of the company, like a holiday celebration. They could also post announcements about new milestones achieved too.
Hopefully, you will be able to understand what makes them different from their competition. With any luck, you’ll be even more excited about the possibility of working with them. The goal of the interview is to ensure you look, sound, and act as one of the team already. By knowing a great deal about their history, performance, and background, you will be well on your way to successfully getting there.
Look the Part
Part of why I suggest reviewing their social media is also to learn how your potential new teammates dress. You don’t want to underdress when going in for an interview. You also don’t want to overdress either. Many organizations have a business casual dress code. The last thing you want to do is come dressed in your best formal wear. A tuxedo is often not required. Obviously, you are going to be arriving early for the interview anyway (as that’s just best practice), so you will no doubt be seen by a few while you wait in the lobby. You don’t want to be perceived as not a fit if you don’t look the part.
Also, in today’s hyper-connected world, it’s becoming more common to have a video interview with a recruiter or hiring manager. Make sure that you at least look professional from the waist up too (or whatever will be shown on camera). Practice doing a video session in advance of the interview and notice anything that’s in the background behind you that you don’t want to have featured. I’ve had some interviews where potential candidates are in their kitchen, with counters loaded full of dirty dishes behind them. It’s not a pleasant sight, and it looks quite unprofessional. The bottom line is this – you control your image and first impression during an interview. Convey the type of image you want ensuring the right amount of interview prep is done in advance.
Sound the Part
During an interview, you need to sound the part as well. What do I mean by this? There are vital things to keep in mind as you are connecting with recruiters and hiring managers. While I touched earlier about being confident, you want to ensure you are not cocky or arrogant. On the opposite end, you want to ensure that you don’t sound unsure of yourself, either.
Keep some of these tips in mind to prep and sound the part. Practice recording yourself to hear how you sound. What’s the tone of your voice like ? Do you come across direct, but approachable? Is there a whiney or aggressive tone or pitch that you need to adjust? Some of us can speak incredibly fast. Don’t talk so quickly to make yourself seem erratic. During an interview, you will need to slow down to sound purposeful, without sounding hesitant. The words you choose make a big difference as well. Short, active, and positive versus longer and more descriptive words are something you are going to need to consider, depending on the type of role you are chasing.
Everyone is busy, and with attention spans shrinking, avoid being a rambler – get to the point too. The last thing you want is the interviewer to zone out because you couldn’t get to the point effectively. Investing time upfront with interview prep can make a world of difference.
Act the Part
With being ready to look and sound the part, you need to ensure your mannerisms work best for you. Acting the part is vital. One of the best pieces of career advice that I was given was to act as though you have the role you want. If you are looking to move up the career ladder into a director or executive role, you need to convey that you are a contender for that position. Act like one.
Shake hands firmly while maintaining an appropriate level of eye contact. Don’t go overboard here. Remember, your manners. Be polite and say thank you. Respect other people’s opinions and back up your statements. If you don’t care to be taken seriously, then don’t. If you want a position of significance, being professional is essential.
Now that you have prepped by learning more about the company and have figured out a plan to ensure you look, sound, and act the right way, it’s time to prep to answer interview questions.
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