It's the moment of truth. You've submitted your resume for a job and received a call to interview. Your interview takes you one step further toward getting the job offer. Make sure you do your very best in each and every interview and treat each interview as if it is the only one you will ever get with the company. Preparation is key and to really ace an interview you must know yourself.
Below are some tips to help you during the interview process. Usually the interview decides whether or not you will get the job, so make sure you're armed and ready!
Attitude
One of the most important qualities an employer is looking for is a good attitude. Everything else is what got you the interview, so now's the time to show them you will make a great and reliable employee for the company. You have to have the right attitude.
What's the right attitude? It's:
- Wanting to do your very best for the company
- Being focused on the company’s needs
- Putting yourself forth as the person who will be committed and dedicated to fulfilling their needs
- Not being overly confident or having that “superstar” quality
- Providing a “can do” attitude
- Showing them with examples that you are all these things instead of just telling them
Before Your Interview
Before you go to your interview there are several things you can do to help you prepare. First and foremost you can practice by doing a mock interview. It's always a good idea to practice and get feedback from someone who can tell you what you're doing well and what you can improve upon. That's why Texas State Technical College Career Services is available to conduct mock interviews for our students. So call us and schedule a mock interview today!
You can also go online and look for a list of common interview questions and answer them. Read them out loud and answer them out loud. Sometimes what you think doesn't count out the same as when you say it. So practice speaking out your answers so you know what the employer will be hearing.
Prepare for Your Interview
You're anxious to get to your job interview, but prepare yourself so that you can perform well on your interview.
- Confirm with a phone call the day before to confirm that you will be there to interview.
- Know where you are going by driving to the location a few days before so you can be sure to leave in plenty of time.
- Print several copies of your resume and references in case other people are there to interview you as a committee.
- Warm up your voice. Singing in the car on the way to your interview is a great way to warm up your voice without anyone knowing.
- Plan to arrive 10 to 15 minutes early. You never want to be late to an interview. Arriving too early can make it a bit awkward for the interviewer, especially if he/she is busy and know you are waiting.
- Review questions and answers to prepare yourself for what you might say in the interview.
Relax and breathe. You're going to be nervous but you don't want it to show during the interview.
Answering Questions
An interview is all about the employer asking you questions to get to know you and to see if you're the best candidate for the position. Make sure you keep the following things in mind when answering interview questions.
- Speak clearly and be direct so that the employer can hear you. Use eye contact to make a connection with the employer.
- Stay confident. Any sign of nervousness or uncertainty will be noticed by the employer. Employers are looking for confident and competent employees.
- Don’t speak in generalities. Vague answers provide very little information about your abilities. Give specifics by providing examples and explaining what you mean.
- Turn negatives into positives, especially when talking about your weaknesses. Flip it, by showing how you turned your weakness into a strength, or what you're doing to correct your weakness.
- If you're not sure of question, rephrase as you understood it. That way if it's not correct, they can tell you what they meant and you can answer the question correctly.
- Don’t share too much personal information. The fact that you are married, have children, or grew up in a certain area doesn't make you qualified for a job. Focus on the things that do make you qualified: education, skills, work experience, etc.
- Be conversational, but not chummy. You want to connect with the employer by having a conversation, but don't get too comfortable. Be appropriate with how you answer questions and speak as if you would speak to your pastor or other authoritative figure.
Make a Great First Impression
The first five minutes of an interview are critical because before the interview starts the employer is going by what he/she sees, not hears. The employer is already critiquing the following, so be sure to give a good first impression.
- Appearance
- Grooming
- Handshake
- Personal presence
- Eye contact
- Articulation
- Personality
Practice Now
You can practice your interviewing skills online using InterviewStream. Log into your hireTSTC account below to access InterviewStream on your dashboard and start practicing!
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If you're having issues logging in, please contact your local TSTC Career Services office.
Interview Videos
Here are some quick video
tutorials that you can watch
to help you interview.
