Can anyone share good interview advice? On Wednesday I have an interview for a promotion and feel like I know most of the basics but I'd be curious to hear what tips people have for excelling in a job interview.
Show up a half hour early, but walk into the waiting room ten to fifteen minutes early. Also, dress in a dress shirt, tie, dress shoes, dress pants, and a belt
Know the company, the mission and vision, the strategic goals. Know some of your goals and how they align with the company. Dont be negative - try and minimize your faults, and maximize your strengths. Be straightfoward, honest, and forthright - dont be wishy washy. If its corporate, recognize the importance of diversity, team building, but understand and be able to express how you can lead, and build consensus. Look the part - dress seriously, not jeans, flip-flops and an old Beatles T-shirt. Eye contact and body language are huge. Study some of the negative points of these and try not to do them. If they ask you what you are worth, dont lowball yourself, but be realistic. Have some ideas of where you would like to be in 1 year, 3 years, 5 years. Good luck - let us know how it goes.
I agree with pluto that you should do a bit of research on the company beforehand. I got a lot of people asking me if I knew what they did and why I applied. You'd look silly not knowing what to respond in that case. I always bring with me my resume and recommendation letters and found that ALL interviewers liked that fact, read them in front of me and even highlighted some of my achievements. Do NOT tell BS stories or sell yourself too much; in two situations, I had interviewers say to me upfront how nice it was to see someone who doesn't make a big deal out of himself, because that is a negative sign. Wear proper clothes (I live in France and I see casual chic more than super formal attire, meaning good shoes, well-ironed shirt and nice pants (jeans can be tolerated but the right kind not ripped or something, tie is even optionnal sometimes). Anyway it 's accroding to your country. Like others have said make sure to come like 10 minutes in advance, and most of all LOOK RELAXED AND CHILL. Even though you are desperate for this job, force yourself to appear like a boss and they should be the ones grateful to have YOU. If you are feeling a little anxious, respond in short but concise and precise answers to their questions, because blabbering too much can sometimes reveal some things about yourself. I got every job and internship I applied to that way and I am a SUPER astressed out and anxious person. Giving the appearance of confidence and superiority is half the battle. The other is your resume so work on that. YOU GOT THIS!!
Thanks for the feedback; I checked this thread before the interview to help me get psyched. I'll report back when I hear something. My best interview advice... - Collect letters of reference: in my current job I just provided my now boss with three letters from co-workers/supervisors along with a copy of my resume. She didn't even call references (despite knowing her to be a stickler for that) and it helped me be in control of the feedback she got while appearing organized. - Discuss 3x3x3: in interview cover 3 past experiences that prepare you for the position, 3 unique traits you have that match well with the position, and 3 ways the job fits into your future goals. Most people gloss over one or two highlights but elaborating on a good mix of past, present, and future experiences helps flesh out your interview. - Show personality: tell stories or personal experiences that make you stand out and have character; maybe a funny story or interject something about a hobby. I interview people and in group interviews we something remember people by these little tidbits (like "the shoe girl," etc).
That's a really useful bit of advice, I've never seen it put so concisely. I'm going to share this on if you don't mind. I work with students and their lack of experience in a work environment usually wrecks their confidence but this 3x3x3 could work well even for them. Fingers crossed for you!
