An Easy Guide To Preparing For A Job Interview The Right Way
Landing the right job is a huge milestone for all of us. We spend years in the educational field to sharpen our skills so we can be ready for the job market when the time comes. In the past few years we have learned the hard way that doing well in the corporate world does not depend solely on the set of skills you learn in school or college. There are many other things that you need to work on to succeed and prove you can make things happen. The most important part of any job hunt is the interview, and that is where many candidates fail and get disappointed and discouraged to try again. You don’t need to worry, today we are giving you a guide to prepare for interviews the right way and make sure you pass that phase with flying colors.
Dress to Impress
Unfortunately, many job applicants fail to understand the importance of being appropriately dressed when going in for a job interview, even if it is going to be held on Zoom. Showing up and on time and wearing something that shows how serious you are about getting that job is indispensable. We understand that you want your prospective employers to be impressed by your work experiences and certificates but being underdressed can prevent you from getting to the point where you can show them what you can do.
Assess Yourself
There are ways that can help you assess your skills before the interview. It is always a good idea to identify your points of weakness and strength before you go to an interview and get asked about them.
Aim at solving online tests that focus on cognitive abilities. These tests assess logic, maths, and language skills which are all extremely important in any job market. Solving more than one of the free criteria cognitive aptitude test sample questions can help you feel very confident about how well you are going to do in an interview. We all know how important confidence is when it comes to doing well. Although note that these CCATs (Criteria Cognitive Aptitude Tests) are used by some employers after the initial interview and before they decide if they will accept the candidate or not. That is why practicing these tests can help you become well prepared and experienced.
ResearchYour Future Company
It is never a good idea to go to the interview without prior knowledge about the scale of the company or what its vision and mission are all about. One of the most common interview questions is “ What do you know about our company? “ and it always leaves a bad impression when you don’t know enough. Go to the company’s website and read all about the organization. You can also follow them on Linkedin or social media platforms to get updates about their latest news before the interview.
Be Ready with Your Own List of Questions
The days of potential employees listening to the questions from the hiring team and just waiting around for their feedback and decision are gone. Nowadays, you are expected to have a list of questions of your own to ask before you leave or end the meeting. These questions show how professional and well-prepared you are. Make a list of everything that is important to you to have in your future job and make sure you ask about them and highlight how important they are. Do not be afraid of being honest about your needs, highlighting them at the beginning only spare you the disappointment you might feel if these things are not part of the deal.
Highlight Your Achievements
In an interview, the hiring panel will want to know what you can bring to the table and what the company will gain from making you a part of any of their teams. Be Ready with all your achievements no matter how small they are and show them in the form of figures. Even if this is your first job, showing your previous success and scores can have a great positive impact on your future employer. You should also talk about what you think you can add to the company based on what you’ve done in the past. That way, they can have a clear picture of what they should expect when they make a decision to have you on board.
Turn Your Weaknesses into Strengths
We all have our weaknesses and in almost all interviews an employer asks the candidate to speak about their own weaknesses. It is just illogical to claim that you do not have any weak points or things that you would like to change about yourself. To answer this question with a positive note you have to show your interviewer that you are aware of things that bother you about yourself but at the same time, that you are working on them.
You can even talk about your weaknesses and how you turned them into something that pushes you forward, so if one of your weaknesses is that you are very stubborn you can say that you use this to make sure the job gets done without compromises or quitting. That way you can demonstrate that there are two sides to each coin and that you are aware of your characteristics and able to make the best out of everything.
For some of us, a job is just a way to get money to spend or save, for others it is something they put all their creativity into. Either way, having a job is a very important step that many fear. Being prepared for everything you might face by taking tests or even having a mock interview with a friend of yours can be a huge benefit. Do not take any rejection personally and do not let it stop you from applying again and following your dreams. Landing the right job takes a lot of time and preparation but all of the efforts will be worth it once you get to work on something you wanted.
