You did it! You landed the interview. That means your resume was a hit with the talent acquisition or HR team and you meet the minimum requirements for the job.
But now you have the interview. That can be enough to send your nerves into a frenzy, but Resume Spice has you covered. As a leading career service for resumes, cover letters, LinkedIn, and career coaching, we’ve heard the best and worst interview stories and want to help you put your best foot forward.
Below are 3 key items to keep in mind as you go on your interview.
Do your research
Hiring managers don’t expect you to know every single thing about the company, but at a minimum you should know what the company provides, if it’s made any major announcements recently, and how their services positively impact local and global communities.
For example, if you’ve applied to a company that offers HR and benefits software solutions, you’ll want to look at their website, read testimonials, and get a sense of how these services are a benefit to the customer.
Employers want to know not only that you’ve done your homework, but they also want to know that you see the value in what they provide.
Try this exercise: as you’re researching the company, pick out two to three attributes about the company culture, services, or mission that you sincerely admire that appeals to your personal values.
Ask questions
This may seem obvious, but it’s so crucial that it bears repeating. Ask questions.
Your questions should let the employer know that you’ve given meaningful thought to the position while also showcasing something that’s important to you.
You could ask the employer what the biggest challenges of the moment are, and that would be okay. But take it a step further by asking “What are the biggest challenges for the department currently and how will those role solve for them?”
Obviously, if this was something covered in the interview, you won’t ask it later or else it will look like you weren’t paying attention, but you get the idea.
Remember that it’s a conversation
We know that going on an interview for a job you really want or need can be nerve-racking, but just try to remember that an interview is really just a conversation. It may be a more formal conversation than you’d have with your buds, but it’s a conversation nonetheless.
Keeping that in mind will help ease your nerves so that you can put your best foot forward and land the job. And remember that many hiring managers aren’t looking for perfect answers. They’re looking for indications about how you behave under pressure and the way you approach the interview will tell them a lot.
Bringing it together
There’s not a one-size-fits all approach to going on a job interview, but there are several elements that every employer is going to be looking for.
No matter how well you prepare for an interview, we all need a little help sometimes.
Contact us today if you want one-on-one advice or feedback on your resume, your LinkedIn profile, or if you want to be connected with a career coach.
