Interview Preparation

As someone that was unemployed for many months, the job hunt can be the most stressful time because while there are jobs around, whether someone hires you is another thing. However, you may find yourself one of the lucky ones who gets called for an interview. Therefore, I thought I might offer some tips on how to get through an interview. 

1. Dress Smartly

This may be the most obvious tip but sometimes people may forget. Remember this is the first impression of your potential future employer gets of you and if you dress smart then that looks good on you because it shows you care about how you look as well as that's the expectation the employer will have of you that you will dress smartly for work. Either way, dress smart like wearing a shirt or a blouse. Don't wear jeans because that doesn't look good. You can always dress smart casual where the job maybe a little laid back but making the effort to look presentable for the interview can leave a big impression on your future employer.

2. Research

You've got the interview, brilliant but if you don't do a little preparation into the business/organisation you want to work for then what is the point. Having a little background and understanding on what they're looking for can really help you out. Take a look at the job description and try to find any qualities that they're looking for that you have. It shows the employer that you do care about the company you want to work for and know some stuff about the organisation as well on top of that. 

3. List your strengths and weaknesses

It's good to know what your strengths are and particularly what your weaknesses are. It may be a question that will come up and particularly what your weaknesses are so it's good to have answers prepared. Try to spin your weaknesses into a positive, for example one of my weaknesses is my confidence and that doesn't have to be a bad thing because I am somewhat a bit of a perfectionist and care about getting things right or it knocks my confidence. Sometimes your weaknesses can also work to be your strengths and if you understand that then your future employer may respect that. 

4. Be Yourself

Sometimes your personality can do wonders in an interview. If your future employer sees that you have a nice personality it will give you bonus points because remember they're choosing who they want for the job and if you're a positive, happy person then they'd definitely want to work with you rather than someone who is very serious and barely has any personality. Don't hide the person you are. Obviously stray from NSFW topics but just be yourself and let your personality speak for itself. We live in a world where it's very obvious when someone is trying to be someone that they're not so just forget about trying to be someone else and just be yourself because remember it's you they are considering hiring, not anyone else.

5. Have some questions prepared

One thing during an interview that is guaranteed is when the interview asks the interviewee if they have any questions and let me tell you right now, that having a question, or two ready makes you look really good because it shows you are really interested in the job you're applying for. A question I found useful was asking the employer what their working day was like because most likely if you do get the job that you will have a similar working day to them so it's always a good question to have up your sleeves. 

6. Prepare

My final tip is to always prepare for an interview. Sometimes they make ask you to give a presentation, sometimes it may be just an informal chat, but most of the time it's a formal situation where they ask you a few questions. Either way always remember to be prepared. Figure out what you'll wear to the interview, look up potential interview questions they may ask you. These days if you're applying to a well-known company, people will share interview questions that they had so it will give you some idea of what to expect. Have answers prepared and try to link them to the job description. Think about any experience you've had whether it's working or in your education that you can apply to the job and trust me you'll go far. 

So those are my tips for preparing for an interview. I hope they were helpful to any of you currently job hunting or have an interview coming up. Good luck with the job hunt and interviews you may have. I know how the struggle of interviews and job hunting can be like, so I do truly wish you all the best. 

Thank you for reading my blog and I'll be back tomorrow with another post. 

See you then. 

Megan x 

*This is not a sponsored post* 

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