The job interview is one of the main things holding you back from changing careers and moving into a new job. You need to ace your job interview and put that career transition fear on hold. After all, if you know what to do before the interview, then you are one step closer to getting that job.
When it comes to acing a job interview you need to not only impress your interviewer with your skills and experience, but also with your answers and your appearance. You need to balance professionalism while allowing your personality to shine through as well. And, you need to do this while being under a lot of pressure!
Before you even step foot in that office, you need to mentally prepare for your interview. You need to research the company, make a list of questions and answers, and then make a list of questions you may have for them about the position. This is not something that you can do while watching television- this is going to take some serious soul searching and remembering. If you are in the career transition, you most likely haven’t had to even think of this situation in years. Pace yourself.
When doing research, always start with the company website. Navigate through the various pages on the vision, the history, the about us, the awards section and the products. Familiarize yourself with the company. Many interviewers will ask you about your knowledge of their company and this is your time to show off.
You will also need to decide on an outfit. Your appearance is incredibly important in a job interview and you want to make you are you giving out the right impression. You need to dress appropriately for the position which usually includes a skirt and blouse for women and a suit for men. Make sure your hair is groomed, your makeup is acceptable and your shoes are polished.
Once you have perfected your look and your answers, have someone in your family or friends perform a mock interview with you. They will be able to evaluate your answers, your mannerisms, your appearance and your level of speech so you know what to change and what to work on for the real thing.
Try not to let your nerves get the best of you. This can be extremely hard, especially if you are going through a career change and you have not been through an interview in ages. However, it’s important to remember that interviews, like anything else, take practice. Take the experiences of your various job interviews and use them as lessons to improve in the future. The more interviews you do, the better.
The road to finding that perfect career is not an easy one. There are plenty of bumps along the way and the interview is only a small bump in the road. However, it’s these little bumps that make the journey worthwhile and the career transition for challenging and rewarding in the end.
David Couper is a career coach and writer who for the last twenty years has worked in Europe, Asia, and in the USA with major organizations including the BBC, Fuji Television, Mattel, Sony, and Warner Bros.
He has successfully coached individuals at all levels including CEOs of major companies wanting a new challenge, frustrated souls wanting to make their dream come true, and front-line employees laid off and desperate to get a job.
David has published seven books. His works on interpersonal skills, counseling in the workplace, and management issues (published by Connaught, Gower, HRD Press, Longman, Macmillan/Pearson Publishing, Oxford University Press) have been translated into Swedish, Polish, and Danish, and published in the UK and the USA.
David has a degree in Communication, a postgraduate qualification in education, is certified in a number of training technologies, and has a Masters in Psychology. He is a member of the American Society of Training and Development, Society of Human Resources Professional, Writers Guild and the British Academy of Film and Television.
He has dual US/UK citizenship and speaks French and Japanese.
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