How to prepare for an interview
In an interview, your work is to make the recruiter see that you are the right candidate for the job, by demonstrating your skills, knowledge, expertise and experiencein the position at hand. Your first impression must be nothing short of great. Research about the company and know what the position entails. And of course, know exactly what you are going to talk about to show that you perfectly fit the position. To help you bring your a-game, we have summarized the a few interview preparation tips for students so you don’t have trouble getting started. Whether you are being interviewed for an internship or first job, these pointers will help you answer those panel questions like an expert. Ready?
1. Evaluate the position
The first thing you need to do is to analyze the job position you are set to interview for. Find out what the employer is looking in a candidate. Make a rough list of the professional skills, personal attributes, and knowledge the company is seeking. Compare these with your own assets to see if they are a match. Look at your certifications too to see if they are close to what the recruiter wants. If you are missing some of the assets specified on the position, find out a way on how you can convince the employer that you are a good fit without all the attributes.
2. Do research on the company
Take enough time to learn as much as you can about the hiring company. Find what it does and why it needs someone to fill the specific position. Read current news about it and see what others say on social media. This will help you get a bigger picture of the company, any negative press, and whether it is a company worth working for. It is also important to look at the company website to see if there is any new products launch, events coming up, or the company has just been dormant. No matter whatposition you are interviewing for, reading about the company beforehand will equip you with theinformation you need to answer any company-related question during the interview and know what to expect if you get hired.
3. Showcase your skills
This is the time to show the recruiter thatyou are better than any other person they have interviewed for the role. So anything that can support this will be an added advantage. If you just graduated and have no job experience, focus on college accomplishments. If you have done a school assignment before that rhymes with the position you are applying for, bring it to back up your skills. It can be a coding project, research paper, or anything that shows that you can deliver this role. If you don’t have anything to demonstrate your skills you can buy a project from a school homework help service provider and present it as your own to the recruiter. However, you will need to know how the project works so you don’t end up frustrated infront of the interviewing panel. But students who have already gone for internships don’t have to go through this as their previous work experiences can be used to showcase their transferable skills and accomplishments.
4. Analyze the question
If you don’t understand the question asked by the interviewer, it is okay to ask them for clarification. Analyze the question so you can know what answer the recruiter is looking for instead assuming you know the answer and end up giving the wrong one. However, do not spend a lot of time on one question. But you need to make sure you have answered all of t before going to the next.
5. Dwell on strengths
If the interviewer asks you to list your positive attributes, focus more on strengths than weaknesses. Give relevant examples. When talking about your weaknesses, show your desire to improve. Everyone has a dark area but if you are sincerely willing to work on it, a good recruiter should recognize your heartfelt readiness to make a change.
Interviews can be difficult to handle but if you are prepared, they can be the fun. Hopefully, the above tips on how to prepare for an interview will guide and give you the confidence you need to face the panel.