Congratulations! You made it - after weeks or months of applying for roles, you have landed a job interview, but now what?
Looking for a new job can be a daunting task, and usually getting an interview is just the beginning of the race in this competitive job market. So what's essential to standing out from the rest of the competition? Here are 7 tips to get you started:
1. Research the company: Research the companies competitors, check for articles/news to see if maybe they received recent funding. What are the companies values and mission? How much is the company planning to grow in the current year? Who will you report to?. This will help you get a better understanding on what the company does, their mission but also help you ask relevant questions during your interview
2. Review the Job Description: Did you apply to a Customer Success role? Or a sales role? Reviewing the job description will help you prepare examples before your interview as the job description will mostly have certain traits that the company is looking for, based on the role that you applied for - you can then tailor your examples around the job description.
3. Consider why you applied in the first place: Now that you have a deeper understanding about the company and role, it's time to start thinking about why you applied. It sounds like a basic thing to think about, but one of the most common interview questions for a sales role is: Why sales? after many years of interviewing job seekers, I have seen many candidates freeze when it comes to this question. So before anything, consider the why which will help you prepare
4. Prepare Examples: Here comes the overwhelming part, what examples and where to start? For this, I would say take every interview as it comes one by one before getting overwhelmed. If the interview you a preparing for is the first 30 minute screen with the recruiter or hiring manager the questions will probably be tailored around why this role? why this company? The best way to prepare for an interview is using the S.T.A.R method which stands for Situation, Task, Action, and Result. If you try to follow this formula, you will be sure to keep your examples relevant and to the point.
5. Practice: Whether this is not your first time on the interview rodeo or this is your first interview ever - it's ok to be nervous. Practicing your interview answers with a friend or family member will help you get used to your examples as well as modify things until you are happy with the way your examples come across. The repetitiveness of practicing will allow you to be less nervous during your actually interview and help you feel confident in your answers.
6. Be Punctual and Prepare: Is the interview going to be on -site? or via video? If the interview is going to take place on-site check the route of the company before your actually interview date, if you can, take the planned route to see how long it will actually take you to get there. Remember to also leave extra time in case of delays if you are travelling by public transport, or road blocks if you are driving.
If the interview is via video conferencing, make sure that your laptop has enough charge so it doesn't run out of battery mid interview, or you then need to pause the interview in order to find the charger. Once you are in the interview - everything about how you prepare will be taken into consideration including punctuality, room background (best to put a virtual background) and preparedness with equipment.
Dress code: is there a company dress code? Find out before your interview so you avoid showing up in jeans to a banking firm.
7. Ask Questions: lastly, remember that interviews are both ways and it's important for you to have some questions ready when your interview is coming to an end. This shows the interviewer that you are actually curious about the role and company rather than just interviewing for the sake of it.
I hope that these tips help you along your job searching journey. Remember, the job market is very competitive and standing out from the rest will lead you closer to landing the role you have been waiting for.
If you are looking for opportunities in Go-To-Markets get in touch hello@optimyze1.com
Commentaires