Eight things to do to prepare for the interview | A Blog Post

I wrote this blog post for a tongue-in-cheek career advice website.

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His palms are sweaty, knees weak, arms are heavy. He’s wearing his best attire already. There’s something he’s forgetting.

Sound like you? If it does, you are likely getting ready for your interview…not dealing with issues in the rap industry. Pardon us if we jumped to conclusions.

Before your nerves get the best of you and your stomach starts to feel off—was it the leftover spaghetti you ate for lunch?—take a deep breath. You’re going to prepare and come out of this interview victorious.

Time to train:

1. Print your resume.

There’s a chance you won’t have a share because a recruiter should supply them with one, but there’s no reason you shouldn’t be prepared. It’s just one less thing you’ll need to think about on the big day. Oh, and print more than you need on that nice resume paper you picked up. No reason to scrimp.

BTW, our mentors can review your resume and provide you with edits/feedback so you can make the best first impression.

2. Study the company.

Let’s not kid ourselves, we both know they’re going to ask you what you know about their company. Do your research. Check out the company website, social media accounts, and whatever else you can find. Knowledge is power.

3. Find out what you can about the interviewers.

Pull out the P.I. skills of a 16 year old seeing what her ex-boyfriend is up to, and research the people who will be interviewing you. Don’t hit like. Don’t hit like. Don’t hit like.

Google them. Check LinkedIn (log off first, please!). And look for their Facebook. Any info you can get is valuable information, even if it’s just finding out some of their likes to facilitate small talk.

4. Review the job description.

The company couldn’t have made it easier for you—they literally wrote what they want from a candidate and provided it for you. Know exactly what it is the position entails, the company’s nonnegotiables, and the would-like-to-haves. Use these things to craft your answers.

5. Practice your answers.

Speaking of answers, check out the STAR method. It's storytelling with a clear beginning, middle and end, and you aren't stuck saying "um" and "uh" every other word. And the interviewer might thank you for it; it's a common way to take notes.

6. Prepare your own questions.

They’re going to ask you if you have any questions at the end of the interview. This is likely another piece of advice you’ve heard before. And it’s correct. Arm yourself with at least three questions you can ask them, no reason to think on-the-fly for this one.

7. Know how to get there.

Please. Do yourself a favor and look at the directions ahead of time. Don’t just trust that Google said it would take 45 minutes to get there. Look at every turn and make sure Waze brings you to your exact location. You don’t want to have to call the recruiter and tell them you can’t find the building because your GPS dropped you off at a tree...

8. Research connections.

Time to name-drop. Not about that time you met Jennifer Lawrence (even though that probably makes for a memorable story to share with interviewers). We’re talking about the people you know at the company. No need to scrounge for someone in upper-management; truly anyone will do to put a little faith behind your name. Yet another reason to pull out your P.I. work.

Preparedness is rule number one. No, of course you can’t anticipate everything you need or everything that will go wrong, but control what you can by planning ahead.

You may be nervous, but on the surface you’ll look calm and ready. With a little preparation you can do anything you set your mind to.