Ace the interview with preparation and practice

The secret to a good interview is a simple one - Prepare and Practice. Too many job seekers arrive at their interviews without enough information about themselves, the company/person they are interviewing with and the best ways to answer the common/usual interview questions. You need to get as much information as you can, so that you know what to expect and are more comfortable/confident. Interviewing is a skill and you can improve only with practice.

There are a number of things you can do, to ensure that you are better prepared to give a good interview.

• Learn as much as you can, about the industry/company/job you are interviewing for. Look for things such as - How has the industry been doing, what is the competitive situation, what are the future prospects, what are the company’s main products, how is the company doing relative to competition, what is the company culture like, what is the company proud of and what is its’ USP, what are the key requirements for performing well in the job and so on)
• Find out who you are interviewing with and what their position is. Gather whatever information you can about them. Use the internet and your network. Google and LinkedIn can be a great resources for this.
• Make sure you have enough information about the interview process you will be facing. In addition to your interviewer, you should know how long the interview will last and what type of format the interview will follow
• Conduct at least a basic self-assessment about your characteristics. You should have a decent idea about your skills, strengths, personality traits, etc. that are relevant for your job target
• Prepare responses to some of the typical interview questions, with the goal of showing the employer how well your characteristics meet the requirements for performing well on the job. [Click here] to view a related article for help with this aspect. You can also view our videos on common/tough interview questions for more tips
• Know about and prepare to answer any ‘lack-ofs’ or uncomfortable questions. For example a big gap in your resume, not meeting a key job requirement, poor grades and so on
• Think about what you might want to know about the company or job and make a list of questions to ask around those points. Make sure that this information is not available publically
• Practice your responses a few times with friends, family or a career advisor. Fine tune the responses and your interview style based on their feedback and your own assessment

Sources and references: Sandbox Advisors