As soon as a company asks you to interview, you’ve got one foot in the door. With some common sense preparation, you’ll improve your chances of going from an outsider looking in, to the candidate they’ve got to have. Here’s what to do.
Know Everything About Your Resume. When you first speak with a hiring manager, everything they know about you sits on your resume. It’s a natural place to start a conversation.
Your interviewer might ask about technologies you used on a job three years ago, or how you solved a problem on a project ten years ago. It’s easy to stumble on a question like this because you haven’t thought about it recently.
You need to be able to speak about your entire background, so reread and think about everything that’s on your resume so it’s fresh in your mind. Be able to speak about three challenges from your past that show off your technical knowledge.
If it’s on your resume, you’ve done it or used it … make sure you can talk about it, too.
Study, Study, Study. Learn as much as you can about the position, the company and the technologies. Take time to study the description line-by-line and prepare examples of how/when you’ve done similar things. Google the company you’re interviewing with so you’re familiar with their business and major initiatives. Study technical questions similar to those listed on the job requirement (especially focus on any technologies your recruiter mentions!).
Appearance. Brains aren’t everything in an interview — the right appearance is key too. Formal and simple is a good rule to live by — suits always work for men and business attire is appropriate for women. We’ve had comments from hiring managers on aggressive side burns, wrinkly green suits, and a woman who wore leggings to an investment bank environment. Dress sharp and arrive on time so you don’t become our office punchline.