15 interviewing tips

I've been doing some interviews for jobs lately, so here are a few tips I have.

1. If it's a phone interview, have your resume open so you can easily refer to it. It can be easy to forget to mention something key if it's not in front of you.
2. If it's an in person interview, have copies of your resume to hand out. Not all places will need this, but some places will definitely forget to ask you to bring a printed copy.
3. Look over a company's mission statement beforehand and try to work key words into the interview somewhere.
4. Think of a few questions to ask beforehand. It can be hard to be on the spot, but it's easier if you have thought them out already.
5. When in doubt of what to ask, I think it's generally good to ask about work culture and how the digital age is affecting the company you're interviewing at (it's hard to find an industry that hasn't been affected by our rapidly changing technology).
6. If you have any questions about the job posting, be sure to ask them. It doesn't make you seem dumb to wonder about something that isn't clear and it usually just make it seems like you pay attention to detail.
7. If you forget to ask an important question during an interview, email the interviewer after. You're not always going to remember everything and continued interaction with the interviewer that shows genuine interest in the job is always a good thing.
8. Wear something nice, but comfortable. You don't want to be shifting uncomfortably the entire time.
9. Be sure you're well hydrated before the interview. Things like being thirsty can really distract you during an interview, so be sure you're all set.
10. Interact with where you're interviewing as close to the interview as possible. This could be use one of their products, read one of their articles, or visit the location depending on what kind of place it is. You just want to be sure that you have a fresh experience in your mind.
11. I adopt a professional voice for interviews. You don't have to do this, but I like doing it because it helps me be more confident because it's almost like I'm playing a role.
12. If you need to fidget, do it out of sight. This is very easy to do on phone interviews as they can't see you at all, but if you're in person and feel the need to fidget (I know I do), try to do it below the desk.
13. Send a follow up email thanking someone for their time the next day. It helps keep you in their mind as a good candidate even while they may be interviewing others.
14. Do whatever little things you need to do to be confident. This may be wearing a certain ring or washing your hair the morning of, but anything that makes you more confident is going to help you interview well.
15. Do whatever you need to do beforehand to relax. This could be deep breaths, it could be listening to a song that pumps you up, just do what you can to relax beforehand.

(Prompt by me)

Photo by Alan Cleaver

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Job_interview.jpg