Your heart is racing, your hands are sweaty and you cannot seem to remember why you applied for this position in the first place. Most of us can think of a time when we were nervous or felt unprepared for a job interview. Here are some tips and phrases to help you feel more confident and be able to communicate why you are the best candidate for the job!
Do your homework.
Make sure to research the company before you go to your interview. Visit the company website to review their history, mission statement, services and products. What is the company culture like? Who are their competitors? Take a look at any social media accounts the company may have (i.e. Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc.).
While researching the company, make a list of at least three important questions you have about the company or the position you are applying for (most interviewers will ask if you have any questions about the position, company or organization at the end of the interview, so it is important to have a few questions prepared).
Show them who you really are.
Here are several useful adjectives to describe your personality for a job interview:
· Focused: Someone who pays attention in detail to the activity or task they are working on. This person is able to concentrate well.
· Trustworthy: A person who is reliable and does what they say they are going to do.
· Committed: Somebody who is loyal and dedicated to putting their time and energy into completing a task or goal.
· Proactive: Someone who takes action before an event occurs. This person is able to identify a problem and take steps to prevent it from happening.
· Methodical: A person who pays attention to detail, works very carefully and completes tasks in an organized manner.
· Hard-working: Somebody who works diligently and puts a lot of effort into their job or finishing a task.
· Easygoing: Someone who is tolerant, relaxed and casual. This person does not get upset or worried very easily.
· Honest: Someone who is truthful, fair and sincere.
Describe your strengths and experiences.
What are you good at and what valuable experiences do you bring to this new job experience?
When describing your strengths make sure to modify your answers to fit the job description.
Highlight the qualities you possess that fit under the job description. For example:
· I’m skilled at working under pressure
· I’m good at multitasking or problem-solving
· My strengths are my ability to work well with others and pay attention to detail.
In order to connect your personal strengths to a real-life example make sure to follow it up with telling a story that demonstrates a specific experience where you used that skill to accomplish a task or goal. Be positive and emphasize what you have learned from your past successes and failures.
Practice, practice, practice!
Practice makes perfect. Rehearsing is essential to prove that you are the right person for the job. Some questions may be difficult to answer, so working on your answers ahead of time will help you to expect the unexpected. By preparing your answers before the interview you can personalize and perfect your responses. Everyone practices in a different way, so do what is best for you to prepare for the interview.
For example:
· Talking out loud to yourself in the shower
· Looking at interview tips from an online video
· Rehearsing your answers to potential questions by yourself or with a friend several times before the interview.
*Bonus phrases to help you get the job you want! · “I’m excited about this opportunity because…”
· “I was so happy when I learned this position was available because…”
· “I really appreciate the company’s mission statement because…”
· “What I can contribute to your organization is…”
· “I read about that project on the company website and I thought…”
· “If I were working in this position, I would focus on [state a specific company trend that you found when researching the company before the interview]”
· “An example of a time that I solved a similar problem is…”
· “I admire the way [insert company name]…”