Congratulations! You just got a call for an interview for your dream job. You believe you have the skills the position requires and have polished your resume until it screams hire me. Don’t ruin your chances at the job by overlooking this one key step —investing some time in pre-interview preparation.
Over the years I’ve been on both sides of the desk. I would’ve done anything to uncover the secret of the successful candidates while I sweated out all those stressful interviews. I never considered that the tables would turn and I’d be doing the interviewing—and also that I’d discover that there is no real secret.
How to Prepare Before the Interview
I’ve completed countless interviews for nurses, paraprofessionals and office staff. No matter what discipline I hire, one thing remains clear: Your resume may have scored you an interview, but it won’t win you the job on it’s own. Investing a little time to prepare for your interview and it can pay off later when you ace that interview.
1. Do Your Research
It’s not just the company you need to research. You should also check out your online persona. Because you might make a first impression on someone without ever meeting in person, and it might not be a positive one.
- Consider what kind of image you want to portray and then Google yourself. Clean up your online social media persona so you present as a professional.
- Review your social media sites and change the security settings on your personal sites to private. If you prefer to keep your social media sites open to the public, then do a little cyber clean up.
- Remove or hide any unprofessional pictures
- Delete any careless or rude comments about your current employer that you wouldn’t want an employer to stumble across and ruin your chance at the job. (Check out this article where I discuss social media presence in more detail.)
2. Consider Your Appearance
Choose the outfit that you plan to wear to the interview. It’s better to be more professional than too causal but make sure you’re comfortable. You’ll feel more confident if you’re not fidgeting or feel uncomfortable.
- Try on your outfit to avoid a last minute shopping trip on the interview day.
- Sit down and ensure that everything stays covered and doesn’t become too snug or uncomfortable.
- Avoid clothing that is too tight, reveals too much cleavage, or that has a low waistline that exposes skin around your belly or backside when you sit.
- Take a look in a full-length mirror and turn around to visualize everything to ensure you are happy with the appearance you present.
3. Review Your References
Most employers prefer that you have a combination of both professional and personal references.
- Touch base with your references to ensure their contact information is correct and alert them that they may be contacted.
- A letter of recommendation isn’t always necessary for a position, but it can be helpful to rise above the competition.
- Consider how you left things with that previous employer and whether they will provide a positive reference.
- Try to use personal references that can discuss you in a professional manner. I.e.: Use people you have met through networking or community involvement and avoid using family members
Get Ready to Ace That Interview
Now that you’ve done your homework, you should be ready to walk in that interview with confidence and be prepared to shine. Stay tuned for Part 2 of the Interview Series to make that first impression your best one during the interview.
