As expert resume builders, we know that a great resume will get you in the door, but a great interview can truly win you the big job that you seek. It’s natural to be nervous prior to an interview, but we have a few tips that might ease your anxiety and ensure that you make a great impression.
1. Practice Makes Perfect
Being prepared helps you feel more relaxed, and this will help lessen your anxiety during an interview. In order to prepare, print out a list of typical interview questions (you can find these all over the internet) and practice answering them. Ask a friend or family member to act as the interviewer rather than just practicing on your own. Be sure to also practice your posture and how you sit as well. You don’t have to sit ramrod straight and still, but you should sit up confidently and not slouch.
Keep in mind when you are answering these generic practice questions, that you need to tailor your answers to the job for which you are applying. For instance, if you are asked to name your strengths, come up with a solid list of strengths that complement the job. Also, practice giving answers that are neither too brief nor too verbose. One-word answers aren’t inspiring and few employers have time to listen to your entire work and life history. A resume builder service can provide you with a great resume, and some also can even provide career coaching, which can help you prepare for interviews.
2. Know The Company
While using a resume builder service and practicing for the interview are important, it’s also always a good idea to do some corporate research prior to your interview. Learn a little bit about the organization in general. Study the corporate website and learn about the company goals and what seems important to management.
The amount of research that you need to do depends upon the type of job for which you are interviewing. For instance, if you are seeking a marketing position at a firm, take a look at some of the company’s previous campaigns, and take a look at what competitors’ have been doing as well as some industry trends. If the job is managerial or financial in nature, study the quarterly earnings and financials from the company so that you can speak to that during the interview.
3. Dress For Success
Dressing for success means different things for different jobs. But for any job interview, you want to look neat, clean and polished. Your clothes should be ironed and fit well. Your hair should be well-groomed. When you look your best, you will feel better about yourself and this helps keep you more relaxed during an interview.
For a formal business office, you will want to wear formal business attire. For a more casual job, you can dress down a bit more. However, don’t wear jeans, t-shirts or anything too colorful or brightly patterned. It is best to tone it down for a job interview. You want the interviewer to focus on you and not on what you are wearing. As resume builder experts, we know the importance of looking just as good as what is on your resume. Also, it can be good to bring in a briefcase or professional bag that contains copies of your resume, letters of recommendation and perhaps a portfolio of your work, as well as a pen and paper in case you need to jot anything down. However, don’t bring anything else, such as coffee or a water bottle, and be sure to turn your phone off.
4. Don’t Be Late
Ok, this one probably seems obvious, but it’s as crucial as not having errors on your resume. Being late basically just gives the impression that you aren’t reliable. Leave very early for a job interview to accommodate for traffic issues. Even if you end up killing time in a local coffee shop, at least you know that you won’t be late. In addition, keep in mind that “on time” really means about five or six minutes early. It’s really not necessary to arrive more than 10 minutes ahead of schedule, but provide a few extra minutes so that you can check in and get situated prior to the interview.
These are just a few tips that we, as resume builders, have found helpful for our clients seeking a variety of different jobs. Perhaps the best advice we can give is to be as prepared and professional as possible. We highly recommend that you hire a professional resume writing service to create your cover letter and resume. This will ensure that you have a dynamic, error-free resume tailored to the specific job that you want. Take a look at our resume writing recommendations and then select the best possible writing service.
