How to Prepare for an Interview

Congratulations! You made it to the interview stage.

Thorough preparation is critical if you are going to ace your interview.

Interviewing is not only your chance to show a potential employer your best traits, it is also an opportunity to learn valuable information that will help you decide if the job is something you want.

In this article, we'll guide you through the basic steps to preparing for an interview.

There's nearly unlimited access to information about most companies online.

Having a solid understanding of the company when you go into the interview will show that you are serious about the position.

The minimum you need to know about the company:

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• What services or products do they offer?
• Who do they serve? / market to?
• What is the mission statement?

Additional information to research:

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• Who are some of their top competitors in the market?
• Think about your values, and research the company accordingly. Is company culture important to you? Is community involvement important?  

Thoroughly analyze the job description.

Do a side by side comparison of your resume and the job description.

Make notes about how/why you meet each item on the job description.

Be prepared to give an example for each item on the job description.

For example, if your resume accomplishments section lists that you increased membership by 25%, be prepared to explain in detail how you accomplished that. Use the STAR model, below.

Below are some popular interview questions.

Basic questions

• Tell me about yourself.
• What is your greatest weakness?
• What is your greatest strength?
• What do you know about [company]?
• Why do you want to join [company]?
• Why are you leaving [current company]?
• Where do you see yourself in 5 years?
• Give me 2 reasons we shouldn't hire you.

Situational questions

These types of questions (which are normally presented as statements) help an employer understand how you have handled past experiences. This gives them insight into how you might handle similar situations in the future.

Some situations include:

• Tell me about a conflict you dealt with in the workplace and how you addressed it.
• Tell me about a time you had to make a judgement call.
• Tell me about a time you failed at something.

Use the STAR model to give examples

This puts the example into context and will help you talk through a comprehensive example. Always use examples from a business setting if you have them.

• Action - What steps did you take? Use a few sentences to describe them.
• Result - What was the outcome? If you weren't able to accomplish the task, make sure to describe what you learned.

Here is a sample STAR response: 

• Interviewer: Tell me about a time you had to make a judgement call.
• Interviewee (you): 

In my role managing a new product launch, one of the parts we needed to assemble the final product was delivered the morning we were to start production and did not match the specification. [SITUATION]

I had to determine whether to assemble the product with the out of spec part or to delay production. [TASK]

I quickly reviewed the function of the non-conforming part. I concluded that the part was critical to the operation of the product and would need to be replaced. However, I also found that we could fully assemble the non-conforming part and replace the part later with minimal work. [ACTION]

As a result, we were able to start production on time. The supplier expedited replacement parts. The rework was able to be completed quickly which enabled deliveries to be made according to the original timeplan. [RESPONSE]

Role-playing with a friend is a great way to prepare for your interview.

Ask for feedback from the person that does the interview. What points did you excel at? What areas were weaker or unclear?  

Also consider capturing video of your mock interview so you can review it yourself. You may be surprised at certain habits that you display when watching it compared to what you think you are doing.