Interview Preparation (2024)

FAQs

What are the 7 preparations for interviews? ›

So my three Ps of interview preparation are, past, people and personal, but more on these shortly. The next thing to think about is what your preparation looks like.

The STAR method is a structured manner of responding to a behavioral-based interview question by discussing the specific situation, task, action, and result of the situation you are describing.

When answering, mention what your top strengths are, provide examples on how you've used them in the past, and finally, describe the results you've gotten. Be super specific with your answers. Don't just say “I'm good at X” - really dive deep and give the interviewer a comprehensive answer.

It's acceptable to bring notes with you to an interview if the notes contain the questions you plan to ask your interviewer. You might also include questions about the company that you were unable to answer through your research.

Why should we hire you? ›

Show that you have skills and experience to do the job and deliver great results. You never know what other candidates offer to the company. But you know you: emphasize your key skills, strengths, talents, work experience, and professional achievements that are fundamental to getting great things done on this position.

There are many different types of interview approaches and techniques, Generally speaking, all interviews fall into one of three categories: structured, semi-structured, and depth/unstructured interviews.

You can mimic this formula to answer interview questions by following the pattern of scenario, solution, resolution. Following this three-step formula will not only help you make a positive impression on the hiring manager, but also ensure that you're answering every question with as much detail as possible.

Questions to avoid in an interview:

Never ask for information you could have easily found with a quick Google search. Never ask if you can change the job details, the schedule, or the salary. Never ask many questions about the interviewer's background. Never ask about pay, time off, benefits, etc.

Neutral colors - navy, gray, black, and brown - are the best colors for a job interview. White is also an excellent color for a blouse or button-down shirt. You can certainly add a pop of color to a neutral interview outfit.

Some ideas to think about include sharing how the position can advance your career, mentioning what interests you about the role, and explaining how you can help the organization achieve its goals while working in the role.

Which part of the interview is the most important? ›

The first minute of an interview is critical; interviewers often make first and lasting impressions on how you are dressed, on the firmness of your handshake, on your confidence, and on all elements in that initial few minutes.

Ensure you don't go off on tangents or end abruptly without rounding out your answer back to what was asked. Also, avoid mumbling or speaking too fast. The interviewer shouldn't have to ask you to repeat an answer or strain to hear what you're saying.

Give yourself permission to feel

Rather than struggling with our feelings, it can be more helpful to allow them to be. First, try to identify and label the emotion. Then, allow yourself time to experience it, remembering that failure is a part of everyone's life experience, and actually, crucial to success.

Transferable skills: Your portable skills that you take from job to job (e.g., communication and people skills, analytical problem solving and planning skills) Personal traits: Your unique qualities (e.g., dependable, flexible, friendly, hard working, expressive, formal, punctual and being a team player).

When answering the question, “Describe a time when your workload was heavy,” provide a detailed anecdote about how you've dealt with this challenging situation in the past. Offer some context into how the situation arose and how you came up with an effective solution.

Pleased/nice/glad to meet you. Pleased/nice/glad to meet you. Hello. If you have met before (at a job fair for example), the interviewer may greet you with "How are you?" A suitable response is "Fine, thanks." or "Very well, thanks."

Though it's OK to share some personal details about yourself, it's also important that you use good judgment and proceed with caution in your ”Tell me about yourself” answer. In most scenarios, you'll want to steer clear of discussing sensitive topics like family, religious beliefs, and politics.

When introducing yourself, either in person or on the telephone, use your first and last name. After you shake hands with all of your interviewers, stand behind a chair until you are invited to sit down, or politely ask where the interviewer would like you to sit.

It's perfectly acceptable to look at notes that you've prepared before the interview and notes that you write during your interview, but avoid reading from your notes verbatim. And never pass up the opportunity to ask questions.

Talk about specific examples of how you can help this company achieve their goals and highlight any relevant transferrable skills that will make you stand out as the right candidate. Write down any recent achievements you can talk about or any challenges you've faced recently that might be related to this new job.

Do employers interview best candidate first? ›

Some hiring managers may choose to interview the strongest candidates first. This can be advantageous for a number of reasons. By interviewing the top candidate early, employers can gauge other candidates' performances against the benchmark set by the best candidate.

Your answer to the "tell me about yourself" question should describe your current situation, your past job experience, the reason you're a good fit for the role, and how you align with the company values. Tell the interviewer about your current position and a recent big accomplishment or positive feedback you received.

Answer “what is your greatest weakness” by choosing a skill that is not essential to the job you're applying to and by stressing exactly how you're practically addressing your weakness. Some skills that you can use as weaknesses include impatience, multitasking, self-criticism, and procrastination.

In general, your strengths should be skills that can be supported through experience. For example, if you list communication as a strength, you may want to recall a situation in which you used communication to reach a goal or resolve a problem.

If the interviewer mentions a situation or skill that you weren't aware of beforehand and therefore do not have a plan in place, but it's an essential skill for the role, you could also state something like this, “I'm available and willing to fast-track learning this new skill that is important to the role.

What makes you stand out from other candidates? ›

These can be professional skills, areas of expertise, personal qualities, or any relevant experience. Also, consider any impressive accomplishments from your past or career goals that speak to your commitment to the field. Think of ways to out-do the other candidates.

Think about: your enthusiasm for the profession and the employer and your desire to make your mark. your personal qualities, such as your drive and willingness to learn. the skills the employer seeks and how you have demonstrated them in the past – your answer should show why you would be competent in the job.

STEP 5 – HAVE CONFIDENCE

Interview confidence involves a firm handshake, good eye contact, strong posture and an engaging smile. Employers are looking for a candidate who knows they will bring value to the job, so be confident in your worth and pleasant in your interactions.

A simple, structured technique to help you answer interview questions. It stands for Situation, Task, Approach and Results.

What are the 3 golden rules when one is being interviewed? ›

3 golden interview rules: be prepared, be professional, and most importantly, be yourself.

That is, when interviewing someone, you should treat your interviewee like you'd want to be treated if you were the one being interviewed.

Rule 12 - Court Interviews of Children (a)Generally. On a party's motion or on its own, the court may conduct an in camera interview with a minor child who is the subject of a legal decision-making or parenting time dispute to ascertain the child's preferences as to both.

Any job interview can be broken down into four general stages: introductions, broad questions and answers, position-related questions, and the conclusion.