How to Prepare for an Interview

It can be both exciting and nerve-wracking to make it to that highly sought-after interview appointment. Know that it’s definitely an achievement. What will they ask you? How do you show that you are an amazing fit for the role? What should you wear? Although many more questions will arise throughout your preparation, here are a few tips and resources on how to prepare for an interview. 

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Do your research! 

You’re not going to know everything about the company, but it does help to have a general idea as to who you will be working for and what you will be doing within that position.  

• Carefully go over the responsibilities of the role you’re applying to. 
• Research the company’s missions and goals. 
• Look into past projects if they’re posted online. 
• Check if the software they use is in the job description. 

These make great conversation points whenever the questions are launched. If prompted to tell them about yourself, if you noticed that you’ve worked with specific software that was listed in the description, you can share how you were able to use those skills in previous roles.  

The more you know about the company, the easier it’ll be to customize your answers to address their goals. 

Prepare questions about the position and the company.

Show that you are genuinely interested in more than just a paycheck (at least, I hope that’s the case). You wouldn’t want to go into a relationship where your partner only cared about what they could get out of you, right? Same with choosing a career. It’s a two-way commitment, and you need to be able to show that you do care about the position and with whom you’ll be working alongside. 

These questions could include: 

• Can you tell me what a typical shift is like for this role? 
• What are some challenges that I should expect? 
• What is it that you like about the company? 
• If I have questions on the job, who can I turn to for help? 
• What methods of communication are we expected to use (Slack, Microsoft Teams, etc.) 

The more you can center these questions around how you can do the work more effectively, the better.

Explain what’s in it for the company. 

We all ask the question, “What’s in it for me?” in some shape or form. Companies do too, especially when there are thousands (if not millions) of dollars on the line. As mentioned in Dale Carnegie’s book How to Win Friends and Influence People, one persuasion trick on how to prepare for an interview is to answer what value you are going to provide to the company within this particular position. 

• How many years of experience do you have with a specific software? 
• In what ways were you able to increase sales for a particular product? 
• What’s a difficult customer service experience that helped you maintain customer loyalty? 

Figure out what it is that the company cares about and focus on customizing your experience to highlight how your skills can help them reach what they desire. 

Ask if you may take notes at the beginning of the interview. 

I have yet to be told no for asking this, and many interviewers seem happy that I’ve come prepared to document any new important information about the role. Whether the interview is done virtually or in-person, I highly recommend having a notebook and pencil/pen nearby. One, this shows that you are prepared to document important points about the role. Two, this has helped me significantly with thinking up questions to ask later if I don’t ask them at the moment. 

Warning, please do your best not to fidget with the paper or pencil during the interview. Also, try not to go into panic note-jotting mode. I doubt you’ll be quizzed on the year the company was established. Try to focus on key points that are important to the position you’re applying to, and prepare to ask questions if you’d like for them to elaborate on something specific. 

Dress to impress. 

Rules will vary vastly on how to prepare for an interview when it comes to clothes, depending on the role you’re applying for. Fortunately, in the vast majority of cases, you don’t need a brand-new suit and tie or the latest release on the Gucci line. Clothing like a button-up top, a blouse, dress pants, skirt, clean shoes, etc. will usually suffice. However, there are some tips I highly recommend looking out for to help make the best impression: 

Comfy shoes 

Sometimes, in-house interviews will give you a tour of the facility. Depending on how big the place is, it’ll be great if you don’t collapse in the middle of the trip. 

Colors 

A more common suggestion is to not wear anything excessively bright and distracting. You should be the focus, not the neon print design. Also, be mindful of the company’s direct competitor’s colors. If you’re going in for an interview at Lowe’s Home Improvement, whose brand color is blue, you might not want to go in wearing an orange shirt that looks like you came straight over from Home Depot. Attention to detail! 

Perfume and cologne

I understand. You want to smell nice. However, many in-house interviews are done in an office. If your interviewer is having to focus more on being able to breathe in their own space, that’s not good. A fresh shower and clean clothes are the best bet. If you feel the need to spray, spritz it in the air and run through it. Keep it light! 

Your breath

As a friendly reminder, bad breath will nearly block out anything important you have said. Even if you still need to wear a mask, don’t risk it. If you can, brush your teeth and scrub that tongue before you head to that interview. If you need to eat beforehand and don’t have a toothbrush and toothpaste at the ready, please avoid ordering that Subway tuna sandwich or anything that’s going to have a strong aroma! I don’t care how good it might smell when you order it. It’s not going to have the same effect when mixed with stomach acid!  

Last but not least, even if you are interviewing virtually, still wear pants or something below the waist.

Now let’s hear from you. 

Every experience is different. What are helpful methods you’ve experienced with how to prepare for an interview? Are there any concerns that you have? Please share them in the comments below. For more tips on how to prepare for an interview, I highly recommend checking out the additional resources below. 

And as always, remember to live and learn from one story at a time! 

Take care, 

Kyndall Bennett from Kyrabe Stories 

Additional Resources

Job Interview Prep Courses on LinkedIn Learning

Professional Development Books on Amazon Storefront

Work It Daily YouTube Page (Career and Job Search Advice)

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