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How to prepare for your first job interview
Freshly graduated from college and looking for a job? But don’t know how to prepare for your first job interview and nervous about it?
This is a user generated content for MyStory, a YourStory initiative to enable its community to contribute and have their voices heard. The views and writings here reflect that of the author and not of YourStory.
Freshly graduated from college and looking for a job? But don’t know how to prepare for your first job interview and nervous about it?
Oh, do not panic! Some tips, tricks, and practice are all you need.
No matter what the situation is, always remember to be bold and confident in your approach. You are going to face many such interviews in the future so it is better if you strengthen your personality from now on, isn’t it?
So, here are 8 tips to help you prepare for your first job interview:
Prepare a resume
Investing time on an effective resume will be helpful in the long run. Take help from seniors or go through online samples and come up with a resume as impressive as possible. Well, you cannot alter your achievements now but you still have the chance to impress the interviewer with a neat and good looking resume. Make sure you carry multiple copies of the same with you on the day of your interview as there might be more than a couple of interviewers on the panel.
Do your research
Make sure you do a lot of research about the company you have applied to. Needless to say, brush up your academic coursework too as it is quite likely for them to ask questions from your college/university syllabus. It would be a plus point if you have some idea about current affairs or facts in general. Do some research on the job position you have applied to, its roles and responsibilities.
Mock interviews
There are many online platforms which offer mock interview sessions to prepare you for the big day. You can also ask your friends, seniors or siblings to bombard you with questions just like an interviewer. One of the best tips is to practice speaking in front of a mirror. No amount of mock interview sessions will give the level of confidence which you can get from practicing answers in front of a mirror.
Body language and etiquettes
You cannot change your body language overnight, but you can definitely work on it. If you have a week or a fortnight’s time to your interview, keep working on common body language etiquettes like sitting posture, etc. When at the interview, do not forget to greet the interviewers, smile at them, shake hands, be polite in your answers and maintain a decent sitting posture.
Keep your documents ready
Do not keep the task of arranging documents till the last moment. Get your original mark sheets/transcripts, certificates, recommendation letters (if any), resume, etc. ready in a folder. To be on the safer side, carry photocopies of each of the documents with you. You never know they might ask you to submit copies of your documents for verification later.
Dress appropriately
Drag a friend or sibling to the shopping mall and buy yourself a pair of well-fitting formal trousers and shirts. You can wear whichever formal clothing you are comfortable in. But do not go overboard with the colour or try experimenting with style. It’s not your prom, so it’s okay if you compromise with fashion for a day.
Be on time
As goes the adage, ‘time and tide waits for none’, be thousand times sure that you have plenty of time in hand when you leave for the interview. Set multiple alarms if you have an early interview and you are not a morning person. Do whatever you want to do but be on time. It wouldn’t hurt if you reach a little early, will it?
Common questions
Read books or online columns on common questions asked in interviews. Prepare answers for each of them, do some research on those which you feel are important and practice them time and again till you achieve perfection. Make a list of expected questions that you feel can be asked to you. Be prepared with answers to deal with questions regarding any career gap or personal issues as well.
Well, these were some tips to help you prepare for your first job interview. Want to know how to answer some of the toughest interview questions? Check out this 48 common interview questions and how to answer them to know how to tackle common interview questions.
Now go get the job you are eyeing, Good luck!