Congratulations! You’ve been effectively working through your job search plan and you landed a job interview at a great company. Now you have the opportunity to really shine and showcase your experience and skills during the interview process. To get started, use these four quick tips to prepare yourself and leave the best impression possible with the hiring manager.
1.Arrive early. The worst thing you can do is show up to an interview late. It immediately sets a bad impression with the hiring manager that you may not be able to recover from. The hiring manager will absolutely question your commitment level. And, why would anyone want to hire a person who doesn’t have the organization skills to show up on time?
Arriving early is one of the simplest things you can do. Once you are provided with the address, plug it into your navigation system to gauge an estimate for the length of time it will take you to get there. If you have the time, take a practice run as well. Also, depending on the time of day, make sure that you factor in potential traffic delays.
By showing up early you are demonstrating and showing respect for the company and the hiring manager.
2.Research the company. Do some research! For example, find out how many locations there are, the number of employees they have, who is the CEO, and what recent news has come out about the company. Look at the financials from their website or other investor news. Take a look at the LinkedIn profiles of the individuals that will be interviewing you.
Be prepared to ask some questions about what you have discovered. At the end of every interview that I have conducted, I always ask “Do you have any questions for me?” I am always impressed with people who have done their research and ask thoughtful questions about the role, the company and employees.
3.Take time to listen. It may seem counter-intuitive, but get the hiring manager to do most of the talking. It is a proven fact, that hiring managers will think the interview goes better if they do a lot of talking. So use your research and ask a lot of questions to get the interviewer talking.
4.Follow-up after the interview. It is a general best practice to follow up after the interview. Therefore, be sure to get the business card of each person you met. Be sure to send a polite thank you message and reference a few key points from your conversation. The goal is to get the hiring manager to think of you again. The more you are thought of in a positive manner, you can increase your chances of landing the job.
