Congratulations! You got a job interview! After days/weeks/months of hunting, searching, and groveling you landed yourself thirty minutes of face time. Go, you. Give yourself a pat on the back. Have a cookie. Hell, have a drink.
Ok. Now, back to work. Who knew unemployment would be such a full time gig, huh? After getting the news that you have an interview, it is so important to take some time to prepare. It’s really tempting to trust that you know enough about the position, I mean, you got the interview! That must mean something, right? Wrong.
Taking a few hours to do a little digging and research (how did people live without Google?) can greatly improve your chances of kicking ass once you get in the door.
1. Google the company. This seems so obvious to me but it is amazing how often this step gets overlooked. Look through the company’s website, go on LinkedIn, google the CEO. Search the person conducting the interview. I am giving you permission to stalk unabashedly.
2. Figure our how you fit into that information. You’ve done some research. Now, use it. Really understand the position you’re interviewing for. Read and re-read the details of the job description. Why does this company need your qualifications? How will your experiences fit into the bigger picture?
3. Prepare for the interview. There will be more on this in another post, but make sure you’ve done your homework and thought of potential questions, your answers, your questions. Don’t go in blind. Even if you aren’t expecting some of the questions, having solid answers in your back pocket for others will show that you took the time to get ready.
Good luck on your interview! Happy hunting.
xo, The Capitalista
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Alexandra Saville (@CapitalistaBlog) is the Media and Writing Specialist at Law Street Media. She has experience in the publishing and marketing worlds and started her own publishing company right out of college. Her blogs, The Capitalista and Capitalista Careers, focus on the young and the entrepreneurial.
Featured image courtesy of [David Hilgart via Flickr]