Congratulations, you've gotten an interview! Now what?
The interview is one of the most important parts of your job search. Becoming the candidate everyone wants to hire puts you in a great position and gives you an advantage in making your next career move. Having an interview be successful goes beyond answering questions correctly. A candidate who is memorable, dialed in, and leaves a good impression with the interviewers is more likely going to move on to the next stage in the hiring process.
There are things you can do to prepare and help you stand out from the rest.
Get an Internal Perspective
Don’t just look through a company's website or LinkedIn pages. Expand your research into the company you're interviewing with to recent news and events. Learn what you can about the company in general news coverage as well as presence in industry publications. See what others have said about them in online reviews.
During the interview, carefully and strategically demonstrate your knowledge with the newly acquired information. Use what you've learned to your benefit and connect it to your skills and experience relevant to the job description. Discuss how it relates to goals for the department and the overall vision for the company throughout the interview.
Learn About Your Interviewers
How many people interviewing for this job have taken the extra step to research the people they're interviewing with? Or the leaders of the company? This is a simple step that will pay off big time in connecting with the decision makers.
- Check out the company's About Us page on their website to read the employee bios.
- Look through their People on LinkedIn to see if you are connected with someone in the company.
If anyone at the company has published books or articles as a subject matter expert, you will gain valuable insight into how the company operates. Working your knowledge into the conversation with interviewers lets them know that you've gone the extra mile to understand the company and the culture.
Rehearse Your Answers
Here are the top three questions asked in an interview, with some variation for the industry and company:
- Tell me about your last job or project?
- Have you worked in a similar environment or on a similar project before?
- What value do you think you can add to our company or project?
Be ready to answer these questions. Write down your responses and practice them until you can get all the way through without wanting to change anything. Don't forget to pepper in specific information you've discovered about the company and the role where you can.
Practice Your Closing
After all is said and done, you have one more chance to leave a final impression with the interviewers. At the very end when they ask if you have anything else, underline your interest in the position and why, at the end of the day, you're a good fit for the job. Practicing this before your interview will help it go smoothly once your time is up. The more prepared you are, the better impression you'll make, and the more likely you are to get a call back. Be sure to say thank you, be gracious, and leave on a good note.
Your Interview Prep Checklist
- Research the company and the people
- Ensure your voicemail is professional
- Dress the part of an interviewer
- Establish a quiet environment
- Scout the location or check the technology
- Get energetic and enthusiastic
- Prepare questions for the interviewers
- Be ready to send a thank you email or card
Finding and landing your perfect job in the IT industry is easy when you have Computer Futures as your partner in the journey. We're here to ensure you're supported, prepared, and excited as you take the next steps in your career. Contact us and one of our recruiters will get in touch with you to help you find your next role!
