3 things to prepare before a job interview

• Prepare a short introduction of yourself

The inevitable question in an interview is for you to tell the interviewers about yourself. As this is such a common question, it is a chance for you to capture their attention and get the interviewer on board from your first answer. Remember to keep it short (don’t go on longer tangents) and try to focus on the successes in your professional career, as well as mentioning anything interesting or unique about yourself. As an example, try to prepare 5 or 6 sentences that simply explain your educational and professional background.

• Prepare how you are going to talk about your strengths and weaknesses

Answering this question on the spot can be difficult, so try to prepare an answer for your strengths and weaknesses before the interview. Also, as this is another common interview question, try to avoid generic answers (e.g. my strength is communication and my weakness is I’m a perfectionist). These are good answers, but also very common. Try to think about the strengths that make you a unique candidate, and when speaking about your weaknesses, try to focus on what you are doing to improve them.

• Prepare one or two questions you can ask your interviewer

Normally at the end of an interviewer, you will be asked if you have any questions. This is a golden opportunity to show the interview your interest in the role and company. Avoid asking questions about bonuses or promotions (for now), and try to ask questions about the company culture, the history of the company, the vision of the company, what a typical day in your role would look like etc.