{"id":142970,"date":"2016-11-13T11:04:34","date_gmt":"2016-11-13T09:04:34","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/?p=142970"},"modified":"2016-12-15T16:58:17","modified_gmt":"2016-12-15T14:58:17","slug":"the-ultimate-10-point-interview-prep-checklist","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/business\/142970\/the-ultimate-10-point-interview-prep-checklist\/","title":{"rendered":"The ultimate 10 point interview prep checklist"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"content-information\">\n<p>So you applied for a job online, and just got a call from the recruiter asking if you can interview with the hiring manager. You are super excited until you hear that the interview is happening in 48 hours.<\/p>\n<p>Glassdoor, the jobs and recruitment website, has compiled a comprehensive list of essential ways to gear up for your interview and knock it out of the park. Ready, set, prep:<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p><b>1. Study for your interview like it\u2019s a final exam<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Find as much information as you can on the company or organization, and commit as much of it to memory as possible.<\/li>\n<li>If the job you\u2019re interviewing for requires knowledge in a certain field, do all of the learning and brushing up you can on information that will be relevant to your interview.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<hr \/>\n<p><b>2. Generate a list of potential interview questions beforehand<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Base your list of questions on both what you expect them to ask and the real life experience of others<\/li>\n<li>Reach out to people who worked in similar companies and positions as you are interviewing for and ask them about their interview experience<\/li>\n<li>Use tools like Glassdoor\u2019s interview question database to look up real interview questions and their answers.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<hr \/>\n<p><b>3. Write out answers to every question you anticipate, and practice delivering them out loud<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Even if you don\u2019t remember your responses word for word, you can fall back on certain key points and phrases.<\/li>\n<li>Write your own list of questions for the interviewer, and be prepared to ask them when the time arises.<\/li>\n<li>Make sure your questions are nuanced and well-researched. Never ask for any information that can be simply found online.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<hr \/>\n<p><b>4. Compare your skills and experience to the job description.<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>For each component of the job description, brainstorm your relevant skills and experiences, and think critically about how you want to present them.<\/li>\n<li>If there\u2019s a preferred skill or experience you do not have, be able to demonstrate you\u2019ll be competent without it.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<hr \/>\n<p><b>5. Be rested and healthy for the big day<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Before getting good night\u2019s sleep, try to imagine yourself acing the interview.<\/li>\n<li>Eat wholesome, healthy meals for the days preceding the interview.<\/li>\n<li>If you are prone to anxiety, try breathing techniques or meditation the morning of the interview, and even directly before.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<hr \/>\n<p><b>6. Dress for success<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Keep your fashion choices subdued and classic \u2013 don\u2019t wear clothes that will distract the interviewer.<\/li>\n<li>If you\u2019re unclear on what type of clothes to wear, don\u2019t be afraid to reach out to your interviewer and ask.<\/li>\n<li>Wear clothes you feel confident in. Don\u2019t be afraid to invest in an \u201cinterview outfit\u201d or two that you feel your best in.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<hr \/>\n<p><b>7. Empower yourself<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Practice a firm handshake, strong posture, and attentive body language in advance.<\/li>\n<li>Think of a mantra you can call upon for self-confidence, like, \u201cno matter what, I will do my best.\u201d<\/li>\n<li>Try to imagine yourself not getting the job. While it might be painful to think about, what can you see yourself having learned from the interview experience?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<hr \/>\n<p><b>8. Don\u2019t leave any unnecessary unknowns<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Plan what to bring (extra copies of your resume!) and even what transportation you are taking to the interview way in advance, so there\u2019s no added uncertainty the day of.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<hr \/>\n<p><b>9. Keep an interview journal<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>During or even after your interview is over, take a few minutes to jot down what parts you felt you aced, and where you could have shone brighter. These notes can serve as a valuable guide for your future interviews.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<hr \/>\n<p><b>10. Follow up<\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Extending the conversation shows that you\u2019re passionate about the job. Don\u2019t call every day asking if you got the job, but a simple thank you note\u00a0can speak volumes about your commitment to the position.<\/li>\n<li>And if you didn\u2019t get the job? Let them know if you\u2019re still interested, and ask what you can do to be a more attractive candidate in the future.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<hr \/>\n<p><em>This article can be found at <a href=\"https:\/\/www.glassdoor.com\/blog\/questions-before-accepting-offer\/\" target=\"_blank\">Glassdoor<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<p><strong>Read this: <a href=\"http:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wealth\/142285\/5-tips-to-successfully-negotiate-a-higher-salary\/\" target=\"_blank\">5 tips to successfully negotiate a higher salary<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Glassdoor, the jobs and recruitment website, has compiled a comprehensive list of essential ways to gear up for your interview and knock it out of the park. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":116886,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9872],"tags":[7186,26],"class_list":["post-142970","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-business","tag-glassdoor","tag-headline"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/142970","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/10"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=142970"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/142970\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":148005,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/142970\/revisions\/148005"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/116886"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=142970"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=142970"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/businesstech.co.za\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=142970"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}