Preparing for an interview takes much more work than Googling a list of possible interview questions.
First impression appearance-wise is the first thing that kicks in. A great knowledge of your target company and its products and services is also extremely important. Knowing how to convey that you’re the perfect fit for the job would give you the access card to get in the door.
To get you prepared, we compiled a list of our ALL-TIME BEST pre-interview tips. To not overwhelm you all at once with all these 30 points, we categorized the 30 points into 4 major sections. So you’ll be able to focus working on one aspect of your interview skills a day for a total of four days. By this Friday, with these 30 points, you will be covered for your interview from head to toe. So be sure to follow up!
KNOW YOUR AUDIENCE
1. Know the company you’re interviewing for. Don’t limit yourself from online sources like company website and social media, but try to reach out and talk to friends and contacts, read current news releases, and network with current employees. This will allow you to get the larger picture about the company (and perhaps discover the uglies not revealed).
2. Get a sense of “who” the company is and how to embody a similar personality during your interview. Read the tone of the content on company’s blog and Facebook page. Or, try reading individual employees’ blogs to figure out what type of people work (and excel) there.
3. Twitter can also be an excellent resource because you can see what the company and its employees are talking about. Are they sarcastically bantering with each other? Feel free to throw a few jokes in as you’re meeting with people. Are they tweeting up a storm about an event or product launch? Use it as a conversation starter.
4. No matter what role you’re interviewing for, you should always use the product before your first interview (and ideally, a few times). If hired, your goal will be to create value for the people who use that product, and being a user yourself is the first step.
5. Check out Glassdoor for company reviews from current and previous employees—but take them as a guide, not fact.
6. Before your interview, get a list of the people you’re meeting with from the company. Know their likes and dislikes, and prepare some questions that are specific to each interviewer.
7. Before the interview, ask for what type of interview you will be faced with. Is it case questions? Brain teasers? Standardized and typical questions? Asking the recruiter or HR contact about the interview format ahead of time is totally fair game. And once you know, investing time to become familiar with this style can make a huge difference.
