All too often, good applicants fail to properly express themselves when their nerves get the better of them during the interview process. Prepare by thoroughly going over your work experience, strengths, weaknesses and motivations. It’s also essential that you know as much as you can about the company and the job opening off by heart.
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Preparation
Have a good understanding of how your experiences can connect with the role you’re applying for. What are your strengths and weaknesses? How would you highlight your strengths and address your weaknesses? How does the role connect with your own career goals? Think about what answers you’d give for the questions that you may get asked about. Most importantly, think about what aspects of the company’s culture, vision and core business drew you into applying for the role in the first place.
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Attire
Every company has a work culture. Some may call for their employees to be dressed in full business attire. Some may have a more casual code. You can find out about how to dress for the interview by checking online, inquiring with the hiring department, or have your HR consultant ask around for you.
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Arrive early
Avoid accidents and delays by being there ahead of time. Try to arrive near the appointed place 15 minutes earlier. As for when to walk in, it may depend on the situation. Showing up 10 minutes before the appointed time is generally acceptable. As a rule of thumb, you should never be late for an interview.
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Be polite, professional and poised
Remember to be polite throughout. Confidently introduce yourself, talk about your experiences and how your skills can contribute to the company. Make timely references to those achievements of yours that are relevant to the job. Remember to answer the questions as they are put to you, but also try to save time for some follow-up conversations about them as you see fit. Never make negative remarks about your former employers or coworkers.
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Show appreciation
When the interview is over, thank your interviewer for taking the time to meet with you. It would also be appropriate to write them a letter of appreciation afterward. If you forgot to mention something you believe to be important for the interview, you can also include it in the letter.