Fail to prepare, prepare to fail: 6 top interview prep tips.

You secured the interview now it is time to secure an offer. Even the most organised and confident candidates can sometimes fail due to poor preparation.

You may have the gift of the gab or even be able to charm your way out of any situation, but when it comes down to interviews, hiring managers know all the tricks and easily spot when you are sliding deeply into a hell hole of stutter and silence. Not because they have tricked you, but because you tricked yourself into denying yourself a chance of showing your potential employer your ‘shining’ qualities.

An average interview may last around 90 minutes, in perspective that is no time at all for something that could potentially determine the rest of your career. Your future.

Take it seriously. How seriously? Invest your time into research - why this position? Why this company? What are you going to contribute? How, when united are you both going to make beautiful things happen?

If you really want this job then you will show it, prove it. You may be a superstar but without the ability to manage a smooth running and engaging interview they will not know just how good you are.

             Research, carrying out research is CRITICAL. Stuck on where to start?

1)     Research the position you are wanting to be hired for. Understand the role, requirements, duties and how you will manage this position to your best potential – relate it to the experience you have.

 2)      Take the time to read the company material – from online websites to brochures. Go over their history. This will enable you to understand the company’s values, vision and their culture. Knowing this will also make you think about whether the company is the right place for you.  

3)     The power of social media. From LinkedIn profiles where you can peer into their professional image to Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and so on. There are so many platforms in which companies use, so make use of them. Take an interest in how they interact, who your future colleagues are and what incentives these guys get up to. This is so important; one company may be all fun and feisty who enjoy floating parties on the Balearics to another who opt for skiing in the Alps – you get my drift.

4)     You. Who are you? What are you about? What have you achieved? What will you bring to the table? Showcase your triumphs, be proud. Know all your key stats, billing history, clients you have won, ‘think outside the box’. Dig deep, be interesting, stand out. Employers want to hear this, hence why they have got you in front of them. Sell it, sell yourself.

5)     Research your interviewer on LinkedIn and company bio’s. Have a read of their experience and what it is they do. This will help you engage, find a common ground, move the conversation forward. Plus, bonus points to showing an interest in them, everyone likes to hear about themselves, hiring managers no different.

6)     Reflect and write down all possible questions you think they may ask you and answers you want to find out. At this point analyse over times you have handled something well and when it went flop. There is nothing wrong in previous fails, as long as you can identify and construct a future solution that will result positively. Probe, sell and close.

                                              Go get yourself that job!