Seven Tips to Ace Your Interview with Confidence

Professional coaches who try to get their clients prepared for a very important job interview know that there are a number of important tips that can assure a solid performance for their clients. For most people, job interviews are known to be a bit stressful. However, by following some basic interview guidelines, potential employees can be much better prepared for an interview. The following seven tips will make it a less stressful experience.

1. Know What to Expect

No matter what type of company the job is from, one of the most important keys is to learn as much about the interview process as is possible in advance of the actual interview. It can be a great help to understand more about the person who will be conducting the interview. Being interviewed by the owner of a company is certainly much different than being interviewed by a lower management personnel.

There are companies that will conduct video interviews from a remote location via a web based platform. This can happen frequently especially for companies that have a base that is out of state or out of the country. If the future employee is going to take part in a video interview, learning how the interview will be conducted and what platform will be used is very important. If the platform requires a special computer download, the application should be downloaded and tested before the day of the interview.

2. Prepare a Resume

While not all employers require a resume, having a well-prepared CV can assure a much better outcome for an interview. In fact, having a resume is one of the key components when aspiring to learn how to ace an interview. The resume should follow standard resume guidelines and contain all pertinent data of work and education history placed on the primary page of the document. When getting ready for an interview in programming, for instance, reading through some web developer resume tips can be of a great help.

3. Dress Appropriately

Some companies have a standard of attire for their workplace. However, even if in other companies the work attire is not required, it is recommended that attire worn during the interview to be professional. There are some exceptions to this extend such as construction, agricultural and industrial jobs as well as companies known for less formal attire which potential job applicants should be able to ascertain before the interview.

4. Learn More About the Company

When looking for a job, it can be very helpful for potential employees, sub-contractors and freelancers to learn more about the company they are going to an interview. While it’s not wise to come across as a know-it-all, it can be an impressive attribute for possible employees to seem to know at least some of the basics of the job they are being interviewed for and the company they might be working for.

5. Be Prepared for Personal Questions

Employers usually like to know more about the potential person they are seeking to hire. Because of this, they usually ask personal questions about times in the interviewee’s life when they have overcome difficult situations. Other top questions include asking about long-term goals and visions, as well as preparedness to learn and grow with the company. Every future employee should make sure that they have rehearsed a series of personal questions that might be asked by the employer. Also, when answering the questions, the employee should keep calm and reveal nothing more that it has to be said.

6. Personal References

Almost every company asks the applicants to have at least three good personal references, whom they may contact in order to understand more about the applicant’s characteristics and reliability. Having this information ready should be considered an important part of preparing for any interview. The applicants should get in touch with their personal references and prepare them for the contact with the potential employer.

7. Get Enough of Rest

Additionally, making sure to get enough rest and not going to the interview tired or hungry can be an important consideration for any interview. Employers pick up on little details and people that lack sleep or are overly hungry can come across as jittery and edgy. Since this can be misconstrued by the employer as not being interested or as some other medical problem, it is best to be rested and have a snack just before an interview.

There are no precise answers on how to ace an interview that work for every company and every job, but being properly prepared, conscientious and professional can certainly go a long way in giving the employer the impression that the employee respects the job he or she is being interviewed for.

About The Author

Elizabeth Heron is an HR manager who oversees the execution of the company's internal strategy. She helps employees to find their career goals and motivates them through the process of reaching the ideal job