You’ve applied for a job and were just called for an interview. You are excited, but you can already feel the butterflies in your stomach. Do you believe in yourself and your abilities to succeed in this potential new job? Even if you are lacking in self-confidence, you can take action before an interview to give yourself a much-needed mental boost. Do a little research before you sit down for the interview. Prepping will help you go into the interview with increased confidence and poise.
- Inform yourself about the potential employer. Google the organization to see if they’ve been in the news lately. Is the organization non-profit, privately owned or publicly traded? Check out their company website, examine their mission statement and goals. Look at their career section for information about benefits and company policies that might guide your answer to “Why do you want to work for our organization?” Make sure you understand what the business really does before you make your way to the interview.
- Find out everything you can about the position, and this starts when you first apply. Keep track of positions you’ve applied for – you can do this simply thru AgCareers.com. Log into your free job seeker account and apply to positions; your applications will then be saved and viewable at any time under your “application history.”
Print out the job posting or save it on your computer so you can reference it if you are called for an interview. Re-read the job description in detail, making note of key words that are repeated and emphasized by the employer. Work these key details into your interview responses. How does your experience and attitude fit with the duties and responsibilities of the position?
- Pick an interview time that is good for you. Are you a morning person? Try to schedule the interview first thing in the morning. Would you prefer more time to prepare yourself? Schedule for later in the day. You don’t want to stress yourself by scheduling events too close and then appear harried when you make it to your interview. Do you have to rush out the door from your current employer and run over to the potential new employer for the interview? Think about taking a half day off to prepare yourself, so you can still give your best effort at both your current job and at the interview. However, you must be conscientious of the interviewer’s time and work with their schedule as well.
- When you’re comfortable and feel good about the way you look, you will naturally exude more self-confidence and carry that into the interview with you. It is always safer to be on the dressier side for an interview, but that doesn’t mean you need to wear a full suit if that will make you uncomfortable. Don’t wait until the morning of your interview to determine your outfit, only to find out your pants no longer fit or a button is missing. Try on your entire interview ensemble a few days prior, lay out all your accessories, and iron if necessary to make sure they are wrinkle-free.
- Practice your skills. It’s essential that you’ve rehearsed answers to some basic interview questions and that you’ve developed a few questions to ask the interviewer. If you are a student, schedule a practice interview with your campus career services office.
For more information to boost your confidence for an interview, check out our “Acing Today’s Interview” webinar video.
Bonnie Johnson
October 31, 2017
Newsletter Article
