Interviewing Do’s and Don’ts

You made it– somehow you got your foot in the door at a great company, but now you have to interview.

Interviewing is one of those activities that everyone has to go through at some point, but no one ever truly feels prepared for. You need to sound like you know what you’re talking about without sounding rehearsed; you need to sound confident without coming across as arrogant. The best advice we can give when it comes to preparing for interviews is to hold a practice-run with a trusted friend. In her article “How to Do a Practice Interview That’ll Actually Help You” Jaclyn Westlake describes how to get the most out of a practice interview. Here are a few of our favorite points:

• Know what you want to work on. In other words, be aware of your interviewing strengths and weaknesses so you can focus on making your weak areas stronger. Perhaps you have a good grasp on how to “describe yourself” but need more work on explaining a time you diffused a tense situation in the workplace.
• Have a list of practice questions. There are endless articles and online resources that list the most commonly asked interview questions– look them up and prepare a few different answers for each.
• Pick the right partner. Practice interviews are only helpful when the person you’re practicing with will point out specific areas you can improve, someone who has your best interests at heart and wants to see you succeed. You don’t want to practice with someone who is allergic to giving constructive criticism.

Photo: retrieved from Pixabay, available under the public domain.