Interview after interview, but can’t figure out what you’re doing wrong? With competition on the rise, it’s important to figure out what to do right in order to score the ‘job of your dreams.’ We’ve rounded up our top 6 tips to nail your next interview.
1. Customize your cover letter
Make sure you are reading the job posting thoroughly to ensure it's something you are interested in and fit the requirements for. Save your time applying to jobs you think you would be a great fit for and tailor your cover letter accordingly.
2. Research, research, research
This is probably the most important one on the list. Make sure to do as much research as possible on the company you’re interested in. Read up on the company’s website “about” profile, social media, work completed, and reviews from other employees on Glassdoor.
Next, you’ll want to research salary. To set salary expectations, do a quick search on Google on your job title and location. There are hundreds of websites that will tell you what to expect for a salary range. Sites such as Glassdoor is also a good place to look for employee salaries not only for the company you are applying to, but for similar positions at other companies.
Another thing to make sure to research is the person who you are planning on having your interview with. You should always google and look up on LinkedIn the person (or people) who are interviewing you to see what their skills and experience are.
3. Practice makes perfect
Make sure to practice common questions that may be asked during your interview. Google “common interview questions” and practice them over and over. Some common ones that you may not be expecting are “what are your top strengths” and “tell me a weakness you have”. There’s nothing worse than being caught off guard and fumbling with an answer!
4. Ask creative questions
Make sure you have at least 5 questions prepared to ask at the end of the interview. The person interviewing you may answer some of these when describing the job, so try to get creative and make them personal. Some examples could be “What does a typical day look like?”, “What’s your favorite part about working here?”, “I’ve read about the company’s XYZ, can you tell me more about…?” Coming up with some creative questions puts you at a level above the competition, shows you care and most importantly are eager to learn more.
5. Bring copies
Don’t’ be afraid to type up and bring the questions you’ve created in tip #4 in a folder along with three copies (or more depending on how many people are interviewing you) of your resume. It’s normal to get nervous but having a hard copy handy to reference is always a good idea in case you start feeling the nerves hit. If you’re in graphic design or marketing, create a portfolio and print out copies of your work to show them during the interview.
6. Be early
Make sure to be early to an interview. I always recommend doing a dry run the day before and drive to the location. You never know what the parking or traffic may be like if you’ve never been there before.
Now that you’ve learned 6 tips to help you nail your next interview, check out more tips on our blog.
