There aren’t many moments in professional life that are more stressful and scarier than a job interview, especially if it’s your first or the one for your dream job. Even if you have some past experience, the only thing you can really do to reduce the stress and giving you the best chances is to prepare for the interview. The old adage that preparation is the key to success couldn’t be more true in that case. This preparation takes different forms, all as important as the other.
The company
The first step of the preparation concerns the company that has invited you for an interview. We can assume that before applying for a job, you had a look at the company, at least its website. But for an interview you need to know more than the name of the company and what it does. This knowledge will not only give you the confidence that you can answer any questions from the employer, but it will also shows them that you care about this job and that you are interested in the company. Take the time to research what the company does, who their customers are, how is it organised, and anything that makes it special like awards.
Yourself
Obviously, you will be the one at the centre of the interview, so you need to prepare yourself. This includes knowing what you should expect such as the length of the interview, whether you will have to pass a test and who will be conducting the interview. You can find this out by emailing or calling the company and this will help you to reduce the stress by not having any surprises on the day. Again, this might seems obvious but it is important to have a good sleep the night before the interview and to wear smart clothes in which you will feel comfortable. Finally, make sure that you know where you are going and how long it will take you. If possible, do a reconnaissance a couple of days before in the same conditions.
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