How to Ace the Interview
How to Ace the Interview
Interviews are an inevitable part of life. Whether you are interviewing for your first summer job, first college internship, or changing career paths in life, you won’t be able to escape the interview phase of the recruiting process. I recently went through a lot of interviews before finally landing my summer internship, so I wanted to share some tips and tricks to help you ace them and land your dream role.
1) Research the Company
Before the interview, you should know exactly why you want to work at the company for which you are interviewing. A job recruiter wants to know that you took the time to thoroughly do your research about wanting to choose them and not some other similar firm. This is a time where you want to show off all your knowledge about the firm. The more specific you can get with your research, the more informed and eager you will appear during your interview.
2) Research the Interviewer(s)
In some cases, firms will inform you of who you are interviewing with about a few days before your interview. If this is the case, I recommend searching the individual(s) on LinkedIn as you can learn about them and their professional experience before the interview begins.
3) Prepare for a Variety of Interview Styles
Depending on the type of role you are applying for, your interview might be structured differently. For example, many accounting interviews conduct case studies for interviewees. During finance interviews, you might be asked many technical questions as well as behavioral questions. Do your research and prepare for the type of questions you will receive. Be prepared for how you will approach the different types of questions and be sure to have certain answers ready, especially for the behavioral questions.
4) Practice Your Responses
Practice. Practice. Practice. I cannot stress this enough. The more you practice responses to certain questions, the more your responses will flow during the interview. Rehearsing beforehand will cause you to use less filler words and take less awkward pauses during your interview. Record and watch yourself speak, practice with a family member, or use interview practice platforms such as Big Interview.All of these are great ways to rehearse your interview sample answers beforehand. It might sound silly to be doing all of this, but you will sound much better during the interview as your thoughts will be a lot more organized.
5) Prepare Questions
Always make sure to have questions prepared for your interviewer. It’s great to have questions that arise during the interview, but in case they do not, have two to three ready beforehand. Be sure to not ask questions that are too general and could be easily found online. Examples of some great sample questions are: “What is something you could change about your work environment and why?”, “What drew you to this firm over other similar firms?”, and “How do you see a certain company value in your daily work life?”
6) Start and End with a Thank You
Although this is not rocket science, it is still so important. Thank your interviewer(s) at the beginning and end of your interview session. In the next 24 hours you should also send a thank you email to everyone you interviewed. In the email you should thank the interviewer for their time, briefly reiterate why you want to work at the firm, and touch upon something you discussed with them during the interview.
7) Utilize Your School’s Career Center
If you are a college or high school student, be sure to use your school’s career center. They can conduct mock interviews with you, provide you with many helpful resources, as well as connect you with business professionals in the field you are interested in.
8) Dress to Impress
Whether your interview is in person or online, be prepared to dress to impress. Some interviews might notify you about the dress code such as dressing business professional or business casual. However, it is always better to overdress than to underdress for an interview.
9) Respect Everyone
This might seem like a simple tip, but often times interviewees might come across as too comfortable and not be as polite and formal as they should be. It is great to feel at ease and relaxed while interviewing, but this should not replace treating all your interviewers and recruiters with the utmost respect. Your interview responses might have been great, but if you were not respectful then you will not get the position.
10) Be Confident
Lastly, be confident going into your interview. I know that it can feel so nerve-racking but believing in yourself, filling your mind with positive encouragement, and fueling your body with proper nutrition can make you a much more attractive candidate. People want to hire someone who believes in their own wonderful abilities and sees their own self-worth. Even if you are nervous and not fully sure of the role you are applying for, try not to let that come across. Believe in yourself because so many people are rooting for you!
In some cases, firms will inform you of who you are interviewing with about a few days before your interview. If this is the case, I recommend searching the individual(s) on LinkedIn as you can learn about them and their professional experience before the interview begins.
3) Prepare for a Variety of Interview Styles
Depending on the type of role you are applying for, your interview might be structured differently. For example, many accounting interviews conduct case studies for interviewees. During finance interviews, you might be asked many technical questions as well as behavioral questions. Do your research and prepare for the type of questions you will receive. Be prepared for how you will approach the different types of questions and be sure to have certain answers ready, especially for the behavioral questions.
Practice. Practice. Practice. I cannot stress this enough. The more you practice responses to certain questions, the more your responses will flow during the interview. Rehearsing beforehand will cause you to use less filler words and take less awkward pauses during your interview. Record and watch yourself speak, practice with a family member, or use interview practice platforms such as Big Interview.All of these are great ways to rehearse your interview sample answers beforehand. It might sound silly to be doing all of this, but you will sound much better during the interview as your thoughts will be a lot more organized.
Always make sure to have questions prepared for your interviewer. It’s great to have questions that arise during the interview, but in case they do not, have two to three ready beforehand. Be sure to not ask questions that are too general and could be easily found online. Examples of some great sample questions are: “What is something you could change about your work environment and why?”, “What drew you to this firm over other similar firms?”, and “How do you see a certain company value in your daily work life?”
6) Start and End with a Thank You
Although this is not rocket science, it is still so important. Thank your interviewer(s) at the beginning and end of your interview session. In the next 24 hours you should also send a thank you email to everyone you interviewed. In the email you should thank the interviewer for their time, briefly reiterate why you want to work at the firm, and touch upon something you discussed with them during the interview.
7) Utilize Your School’s Career Center
If you are a college or high school student, be sure to use your school’s career center. They can conduct mock interviews with you, provide you with many helpful resources, as well as connect you with business professionals in the field you are interested in.
8) Dress to Impress
Whether your interview is in person or online, be prepared to dress to impress. Some interviews might notify you about the dress code such as dressing business professional or business casual. However, it is always better to overdress than to underdress for an interview.
9) Respect Everyone
This might seem like a simple tip, but often times interviewees might come across as too comfortable and not be as polite and formal as they should be. It is great to feel at ease and relaxed while interviewing, but this should not replace treating all your interviewers and recruiters with the utmost respect. Your interview responses might have been great, but if you were not respectful then you will not get the position.
10) Be Confident
Lastly, be confident going into your interview. I know that it can feel so nerve-racking but believing in yourself, filling your mind with positive encouragement, and fueling your body with proper nutrition can make you a much more attractive candidate. People want to hire someone who believes in their own wonderful abilities and sees their own self-worth. Even if you are nervous and not fully sure of the role you are applying for, try not to let that come across. Believe in yourself because so many people are rooting for you!
