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How To Prepare For First Interview

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Job Interview Tips & Techniques: How to Prepare for a First Impression

At the end of every interview, the interviewer usually asks if you have any questions. You should be prepared to ask a few questions. A great question to ask is What are the challenges I would face in this job in the first 6 months? This will give you a clear idea of what working for the company will look like and what they expect from you. Its also important to ask a good question at the end of the interview because it shows your interest in the position.

Successfully Preparing For A Job Interview

The FlexJobs blog has lots of resources and articles to help you prepare for your next job interview. If youre a FlexJobs member, check out our Learning Center and consider meeting with a FlexJobs career coach to guide you through your interview prep.

Meeting with a FlexJobs Career Coach can help boost your interviewing skills. Join today and take advantage of discounted career coaching rates and get access to our full database of flexible and remote job postings.

Practice Interviewing In Advance

It can be nerve-wracking to apply for a job as a teenager, since you dont have much experience in the application and interview process.

Its a good idea to practice answering the most commonly asked interview questions ahead of time.

The best strategy is to have a parent, sibling, or friend role-play the interview with you so that you can practice your answers, work on eye contact and body language, and gain experience in thinking on your feet before your interview.

Youll find that this is also a great confidence-builder, so youll probably feel a lot less nervous when the time comes to talk with a hiring manager.

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What Questions Will You Be Asked In A Job Interview

As well as expanding on what you stated in your CV/cover letter, you may face the following popular interview questions:

  • Why do you want to work at this company in particular?
  • What do you think you can bring to the role?
  • What do you know about the field/sector/company?
  • Can you give an example where youve done x?

This last question is a behavioural interview question, and wed recommend using the S-T-A-R approach to break down and structure your answer, to ensure youve covered all bases:

  • Situation: what was the event or problem you faced?
  • Task: what were you asked to do to address this situation?
  • Action: what steps did you take to address this situation?
  • Result: what impact did your actions have on the situation?

You may also be asked a few softer, personality-led questions . These are less about testing your skills and knowledge for the role, and more about how you think and might fit into that environment:

  • If you were an animal what would you be?
  • What annoys you about a job?
  • Whats your biggest weakness?
  • Tell us an interesting fact about yourself.

Finally, it could be worth practising how you talk about your general experience in a punchy and attention-grabbing way, to hit the ground running in your interview.

Sleep Well The Night Before

How to Prepare for Your First Job Interview

Ensure you gain proper amounts of rest before your interview. Doing so ensures that you are more aware and more alert when answering questions. Because you’re alert, you pick up on subtle cues from the interviewer such as their body language or their tone. Understanding their mindset helps you adapt to the interview by imitating their physical posture or other movements.

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Things To Do Before An Interview

What you do before an interview is crucial to your overall performance within it. For best results, many prospective applicants practice the interview process and determine their strengths and weaknesses. It better prepares them for the interview itself and ensures they deliver effective and impactful answers to every question. In this article, we discuss the importance of preparing for interviews, list the benefits of preparing for them and outline 15 specific things to do before any interview.

How To Prepare For Your First Job Interview: 25 Tips

Preparing for a job interview is akin to preparing for exams. This is because the feelings before a job interview and exam are equal. During both the times, you are anxious as well as excited. But there is a little difference between both. In order to prepare for the first job interview, follow some of the following steps:

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Job Interview Question #: Why Do You Want To Work For Us

Even if your real answer might be because I need money, this is a chance to explain why youre a good fit for the job.

Why did you apply to this specific job? Do you admire the company? Are you a regular customer?

Answer the question so you emphasize the talents that you bring to the team.

Example: I applied to XYZ Shoes because my family shops here regularly. I also admire your charitable work and think my communication skills would be a good fit for the company.

Research The Company And Study The Job Posting

HOW TO PREPARE FOR YOUR FIRST JOB INTERVIEW

Researching the company is one of the vital parts of preparing for an interview. This step in the process enhances your knowledge of the company’s industry, business operations, leadership and news coverage they have received. You can navigate their website and social media channels to find this information, but you can check search engines to locate relevant news coverage as well. The more you get to study an organization, it’s more likely that you’ll have a better idea about what type of person the company is looking for and the questions they may ask you.

Additionally, make sure that you have a full understanding of the job you’re interviewing for. It’s key to study the job description to identify the day-to-day responsibilities, years of experience and the skills required to answer the interviewer’s questions appropriately. Usually, the first job you have is a part-time position that sets you up to get another job later on, so understand that your first job can set you up for another job that’s aligned with your career path.

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Ii How To Prepare Yourself For Your First Interview With A Lawyer

1. Assemble as many facts, documents and items related to your case as you can and take them with you to the interview.2. Organize your thoughts and state your needs as clearly as possible: be assertive. Your initial goal should be to find a lawyer with whom you are comfortable and at ease when discussing your particular problem.3. Remember, your first interview does not commit you to staying with that lawyer. You may wish to “shop around” until you are satisfied.

How To Prepare For A Job Interview: 6 Tips

Interviews can be intimidating, and having a good system in place to prep for job interviews is essential. From knowing what to wear to how to handle sensitive subjects, job interviews are full of formalities, emotions, and questions.

To help you make the most of your time in front of hiring managers, the following tips will help you prepare for job interviews.

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Practice These 5 Job Interview Questions And Answers

Employers use your interview answers to gauge how successful you would be at the job. Thats why its so important to practice job interview questions and answers.

Start practicing a week before your interview. Make a list of common interview questions and have a few answers prepared.

Here are the most common questions youll encounter as a teen interviewee.

Be Real In Front Of Them:

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Be who you are. Do not change yourself except adopting the good things in life, especially when it comes to interviews or any other professional reason. Present the real you to the interview as it would help you in the long run too.

Do not say what you do not know or what you are not in as a person. The ones who take an interview are experienced and you should act smart instead of over smart. So, be realistic and be you.

So, these are some of the points that you should keep in mind before going for an interview. Whether you are going for your very first interview or it is your second, third, the experience and the jitters pre interview remains the same. One thing that you should remember is to be confident, be clear with your own subject, do not lie, just say what you know as little knowledge is a dangerous thing. So, keep the above points in your mind and attend for the interview.

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Determine How You’ll Arrive

Prior to your interview, make sure you have reliable transportation to the interview site. If you’re not driving yourself, it’s important to find a ride that can get you there on time. Get directions to the interview site, be mindful of traffic and understand the parking situation before arriving. Plan to arrive 15 minutes early as this shows the interviewer you have strong time management skills and that you’re respectful of their time.

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Why Are You Looking For A Job

What They Want to Know: Of course, everyone wants to make money at a job, but the reasons you should share with a potential employer should reflect your interest in the field, or in helping to develop your skill set.

My favorite hobby is baking for my family and friends. Im hoping to gain restaurant experience in order to decide if I have what it takes to go to culinary school and become a pastry chef.

More Answers: Why Are You Looking for a Job?

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Job Interview Question #: Tell Me A Little About Yourself

This question is tricky. They arent asking about your pets or hobbies. Employers ask this question to get a high-level view of your skills, interests and experience.

Use this question to detail your plans for the present and the future. Keep your answer brief and relevant to the job to make a good impression.

Example: Im in my junior year of high school and Im looking for a part-time job after school. I thought XYZ Shoes would be a great fit for my experience and skills.

Job Interview Question #: What Extracurricular Activities Do You Participate In

How to prepare for a job interview

Now is when you get to talk about hobbies and clubs.

But dont go off on a tangent! Choose no more than three activities.

Each activity you list should reflect a skill the employer would find valuable.

If youre president of the Spanish club, that would be a great way to talk about your language and leadership skills.

Example: For the past year, Ive served as the president of the fashion club, which is one reason Im so interested in the fashion industry. Thats one reason why I want to work at XYZ shoes.

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Plan Your Journey To The Job Interview

When preparing for a job interview one of the most important things to consider is how you are going to get there. A failure to plan is a plan to fail. If you are planning on driving to the interview, make sure you fill your car with fuel the night before. You dont want to be filling up on the way dressed in your suit.

Make sure you arrive on time, or better yet, at least 15 minutes early. Ensure this by knowing the address and if you can, have a trial run a couple of days before. The morning of the interview, check the traffic reports and have a backup route planned just in case. If you are travelling by train or bus, make sure you check the weather report the night before and keep an eye on the public transport websites for any delays. Look out for track works or traffic conditions that can potentially delay your train or bus trip.

Go to bed early the night before and wake up early to give yourself plenty of time.

Research The History Of The Company

As someone who works in executive recruiting, I can confirm that interviewing for your first job is just as nerve-racking as interviewing for your 10th. The interview process can seem daunting, but with the right amount of preparation, it gets easier and easier! Everyone needs to prepare for the interview process. The best way to do this is by conducting research before the interview day. What industry is the company in? How long have they been in business? What products/ services does the company sell? While some of these questions might seem like no-brainers, it is imperative to know background information about the company youre interviewing at. Knowledge is power!

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Your Command Over Language:

Sometimes out of nervousness, you use the languages in which you are comfortable. But when you go for an interview, just remember to use one language and communicate in that only. The use of one language will show your command over that particular language. So, make sure you go with the mind, make up of using just one language during the interview.

Structure Of An Interview:

How to prepare for the second interview
  • Introductions and reasons for the job becoming available
  • Briefly talk through the interview process and what to expect
  • Talk through information on CV
  • Common questions
  • Job-related questions technical competencies and behavioural competencies
  • General housekeeping questions to finish
  • Talk through the job in more detail and an introduction to the company history
  • Ask the candidate if they have any questions
  • Next steps .

Introductions: The interviewers should introduce themselves and let you know their role within the organisation. Therefore, you should know if the person youll be reporting to every day is there at the interview. It is useful to understand if the person is from HR or an in-house recruiter. Its useful because they are there to ensure the process is objective and fair.

Talk through the interview process: A good recruiter wants to manage your expectations, put you at ease and get the best out of you. So, rather than launch straight into the questions, they will make sure you know what to expect, and the type of questions they are going to ask.

CV questions: The interviewers will start by asking some general questions and allow you to talk through your career history. It should be fairly easy to talk through your career history and its a good way of starting the conversation. This is why its important to be familiar with the information on your CV. Be prepared to talk through in more detail anything youve shared on your CV.

  • What attracted you to this vacancy?
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    Here Are A Few Behavioural Competency Requirements:

    Communications skills: Listening to instructions, communicating to participates and other volunteers, etc.

    Customer services: Looking after the participates is a key duty while volunteering. Supporting the participates with the route, listening to their stories, supporting the cause, and offering guidance to keep them safe.

    Observation skills: Keeping alert about potential hazards, the welfare of the participates, obstacles, or anything out of the ordinary.

    First Job Interview: Things You Can Do That Will Make The Difference

    These are all quick and easy wins when you attend your first job interview. All these things below are within your control and will contribute to making a good first impression. Of course, you cannot control if you get stuck in traffic or the train is late but being prepared just in case that happens is within your control.

    Dress smart: We dont mean for you to go out and get yourself measured for a new three-piece suit. Its unreasonable to spend lots of money when you havent got a job yet. However, you can make a special effort with your appearance and make sure you are well-groomed.

    Be polite: This is an easy one! Be friendly and polite to everyone you meet throughout the process. Answer your mobile phone appropriately. Be professional when answering emails. Talk to the receptionists, the security guards, and anyone else you meet during the process.

    Be punctual: This is one of those common-sense tips. Of course, you are going to do your very best not to be late. However, if you anticipate you may be late, because you are stuck in traffic, or the train is delayed, contact the interviewers or receptionist before you are actually late. Always offer to re-schedule. Most recruiters are extremely busy and may have back to back interviews.

    CV copies: Take along a couple of copies of your CV. Good recruiters will have a copy already printed off. However, it shows youve thought of others and youve prepared.

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    Job Interview Preparation Tips To Help You Stand Out

    Practicing job interview answers in front of a mirror helps you to identify anything that might distract from the substance of what you have to say.

    In brief
    • To prepare for an interview, study up on the role so you can explain how you meet each of the job requirements.
    • Be prepared to address your biggest weaknesses, such as gaps in your résumé.
    • The best way to learn how to interview is by practicing your Q& A with someone you trust, on camera or in the mirror.

    You have put time and effort into your job application, perhaps polishing up your résumé and crafting a well-constructed cover letter, earning you a coveted interview. Now is your chance to show why you are a great candidate and how you would fit in with your potential team. If you do your homework, you will be prepared for anything the interviewer throws at you.

    1. Study the job description.

    Get into the right mind-set by reminding yourself what the job entails and reading the employers mission statement, if it has one. Make a list of reasons why this job may be the right fit for your career journey, such as the skills, experience and network you would gain. Focusing on how this job will help you achieve your career goals is a good way to get excited about the roleeven if it is not your dream job. This will help you to express why you want the job and to convey enthusiasm during the interview.

    2. Prepare to address gaps in your background.

    Pamela Skillings, BigInterview.com

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