“I have your résumé and I would like to set up an appointment for an interview for X position.”

If you are job hunting, those words are golden. The backstory is that you have been applying to job openings for the past three weeks, going to networking events, calling people you know, and following companies you like on LinkedIn. Your social media posts have increased to become more visible. You are receiving daily job opening alerts from Indeed, Zip Recruiter, Monster, and Career Builder. If you are honest with yourself, you are thinking that these job hunting activities are more work than just working!

Here in Sarasota Florida, we are seasonal for everything. Seasonal for community events, seasonal for traffic, and seasonal for job openings. If you are new to the area, and you move here in the late fall or winter season, you will see the traffic, feel the energy, and find various job openings that might interest you. However, if you arrived here in the summer, you may be dismayed to see less job openings on job sites, social media posts, and company career tabs. But keep faith and hope and success will come.

But, back to interview tips, you have an opportunity to impress a company’s representative. So, you need to make the most of it. Here are some suggestions on preparing for an interview.

There are many things to do when preparing for an interview. The main thing is to be as prepared as you can be.

  • Research the field, the company, and person you will be interviewing with.  The interviewer will see that you have a passion for the field and will be impressed with you. The conversation will flow and that will help boost your confidence.  The more research you do the better the interview will proceed.  Do more thorough research if you get called back for a second interview.  With a second interview or a realistic job preview, be equally prepared as that means the company is very interested in you.
  • Print out a copy of your resume and cover letter. If you have acquired recent letters of recommendation, bring them. If you are certified, bring copies of certifications. Print out the job ad.  If you can find the job description online, read it, print it out, and bring it. Prepare a short list of 5 to7 questions that you will ask when the interviewer asks you what questions you have. Make your last question: “What is the next step in the process?”  Put all documents in a file folder. Take a tablet and a pen.
  • Ask if this will be an individual interview, a panel interview, or a group interview. Ask how long you can expect to be at the company. If you can, take a dry run traveling to the employer’s location to time the commute. Verify that your vehicle has enough gas. Get a good night’s sleep the night before. Eat a light breakfast. Don’t wear fragrances that are too powerful.
  • Practice in the mirror asking yourself potential interview questions and answering them so you can give the best answer you can. Do a self-reflection! What did you accomplish in the last year? Where would you like to be in 5-10 years? What was your biggest struggle at your last job? If you self-reflect now, you will be primed and ready when they ask those questions which will show your confidence in yourself because you will not be stumbling under pressure to try to remember what you accomplished.

I hope these tips helped you learn more about preparing for an interview! Call today and let me help you take your next step.

Career Advice Simplified is an experienced and full-service career services coaching company providing clients with strategic career planning, career coaching, résumé reviewing, résumé writing, cover letter creating, biography constructing, interview preparing, social media profiling, and personal branding. If you have the desire for a stepped-up career, we have solutions. Win the game of job hunting with our specialists. We provide resume and career services in Sarasota, Bradenton, Lakewood Ranch, Venice and all along the Suncoast!