Six Quick Tips For Interviewing

Interviewing isn’t an all too uncommon thing this time of year. For some people, the interview comes natural and for others it can cause great stress. Regardless of the way you handle interviews, here are six quick tips to help you succeed.

Be Prepared

Do your homework. I know you’re coming down the home stretch of the end of the school year (or the end of your college career) and you want nothing more than to be done with homework. But let’s be honest, this could be your most important assignment of the year! Not only does doing your homework allow you to learn more about the company, but you also will be better prepared and perform better during the interview.

Remember Names

Admittedly, this one can be hard for me and I know it is hard for many others. Going into an interview you have a lot on your mind. You are thinking about responses, how your are presenting yourself and trying to make a good impression. Making a concerted effort to remember the names of people you meet can pay off big-time. Remembering and using people’s names after you meet them is a great way to build rapport. So when you are introduced, repeat their name when you meet them. “Nice to meet you, Claire” is a simple trick to make remembering names easier. Use names as often as you can.

Be Confident

I know this one seems like a no-brainer, but it is important nonetheless. By this time in your collegiate career you’ve done what you need to do to build your skills. Be confident and show your interviewers that you deserve the position. This confidence comes through in appearance, posture, tone and eye contact. Of course, you shouldn’t be confusing confidence with arrogance. Show interviewers that you deserve it, not that you think you already have it.

Don’t Forget The STAR

Situation - Task - Action - Result – Answering interview questions in this manner is a great way to ensure that you’ve covered your basis. To avoid sounding philosophical or to reduce the risk of leaving out important information, this method will show employers that you actually have the experience you claim to on your resume and that you can produce similar results in the future. It also gives you a great opportunity to explain what you learned during the process.

Ask Questions

An interview isn’t just a one-way street. You should be finding out more about the company you are interviewing with as well as the position. Beyond gathering more information about the company and position, you also show enthusiasm and the ability to think ahead when you ask questions.

Follow-Up

“If I’ve said it once, I’ve said it a thousand times!” Always make sure to follow up after an interview, unless for some crazy reason you just don’t want to get hired! Sure, in today’s environment a mention on Twitter might be an acceptable thing to day (depending on the company and position), E-mail is the status quo, but don’t neglect the impact a written letter can have.

- Reed Pankratz

This is post twenty-nine of Posts For Employment. For each day in April I will be publishing a blog post to showcase my writing skills, ability to communicate effectively, meet deadlines, handle multiple projects at once and think creatively. I look forward to connecting more with you as an audience, having fun and finding a job. Friends, followers and employers can reach me at 20pankratz33@gmail.com.