How To Prepare For Your First Interview

How To Prepare For Your First Online Job Interview

More and more processes take place online nowadays, and so does recruiting. Online interviews are practiced not only by large companies with an extensive network of regional offices but also by those who strive to use their working hours rationally. Therefore, conducting a meeting via Skype or Zoom doesnt surprise anyone. However, this format of the interview has some peculiarities.

So, how should a job seeker prepare for an online interview? Read this article to know how to get ready and put your best foot forward.

Come Up With Your Own Questions

Its likely that your interviewer will ask if you have any questions. This is common practice and tends to happen at the end of the meeting. You might think that saying nothing will make you look intelligent, but interviewers want you to be curious, as it shows youre interested in the role. Plan your questions in advance to avoid feeling put on the spot at the time.

For example, you could ask about career progression, the size of your team or department and the company culture. Alternatively, if you havent already covered off a rough salary bracket, its worth asking what the employer has in mind. Make sure you ask at least one another question before this. It shows you arent just in it for the money!

Consider Your Answers To Common Interview Questions

While you wont be able to predict every question youll be asked in an interview, there are a few common questions you can plan answers for. You might also consider developing an elevator pitch that quickly describes who you are, what you do and what you want.

There are some jobs that may involve a test or evaluation during the interview process. For example, if you are interviewing for a computer programming, development or analytics role, you might also be asked to write or evaluate lines of code. It might be helpful to consult with colleagues in the industry for examples of tests theyve been given to prepare.

You should also prepare to discuss your salary expectations, just in case. If youre unsure about what salary is appropriate to ask for the position youre applying to, visit Indeed’s Salary Calculator to get a free, personalized pay range based on your location, industry and experience.

Here are a few examples of common interview questions:

Why do you want to work here?The best way to prepare for this question is to learn about the products, services, mission, history and culture of the company. In your answer, mention the aspects of the company that appeal to you and align with your career goals.

Example:Id love the opportunity to work with a company thats making a difference. Finding a company with a positive work environment and values that align with my own has remained a priority throughout my job search, and this company ranks at the top of the list.

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Stay On Topic And Be Genuine

Interviewers are generally pressed for time, and their objective is to identify the viable candidates from the weak ones. Small talk doesnt help here. Don’t get on the wrong side of the interview by asking irrelevant questions and definitely do not compliment to try to win brownie points. It will work against you.

First And Foremost Read The Most:

The more you read, the more you will have knowledge. The more knowledge will ultimately help you in giving interviews successfully. Read all, related to your own field and that would certainly help you in the longer run. So read as much as you can. Read whatever comes your way. Everything has something to give you for learning.

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What Exactly Is A Second Interview

First off, lets start with what a second interview really is.

Yes, its what it sounds likea second chance for the hiring manager to take a good look at you and decide if youre a good fitbut its also so much more than just that!

HANG ON! Before we get into this too deeply, we have to issue this brief disclaimer:

Job Interview Questions and Answers 101.

Okay, back to our regularly scheduled programming!

So what does a second interview mean?

Well, we can tell you it ISNT a guarantee of employment. This isnt the time to get cocky and let everything youve worked so hard on slide.

Not by a long shot.

It IS, however, another opportunity for you to really show them that youre the best person for the jobyou are the perfect candidate!

The first interview was the warm up.

Odds are in your first interview you met with someone from human resources or a hiring manager and was probably more of a broad screening to weed out the last of the unsuitable candidates.

The second is the big leagues which means your second interview will probably be conducted by someone a little higher upor even a LOT higher up.

You can almost guarantee that this interview will be much more in depth and very well might include introductions to other key members within the business including superiors, senior managers, and even possibly fellow teammates.

A second interview is a bit more seriousthink of it as a second dateon steroids.

No pressure!

Know Your Field Of Interest As Well:

The interviewers are there to confuse you about what you want to do. As it is your first interview, they would certainly ask you about your future plan so you should be sure of what you want to do. Also you should tell them your field of interest. Let them know everything you know about your own field in the interest you carry for the same.

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Tell Me About Yourself

Most interviews start with this question and how you answer it will make your first impression. If you stumble over the answer and arent quite sure what to sayyoure lack of confidence in yourself is showing. If you start listing all your greatest accomplishments and talk too much, your ego might look a little too big. You need to find a good balance between being confident, but not pretentious.

The best way to prepare for this question is to prepare an elevator pitch about who you are. Skip your personal history and give about 2-3 sentences about your career path and how you ended up in this interview, applying for this job. You dont need to be too detailed, there are plenty of more questions coming. You just want to leave enough curiosity that the interview becomes excited to learn more about you throughout the interview.

Reflect On Your Accomplishments

Now that you have a bit of an idea of what youll need to cover, spend a little time reflecting on your achievements. During an interview, youll want to show the hiring manager you have what it takes to excel. Typically, that means discussing a relevant accomplishment.

Ideally, you want to identify key moments in your career that showcase you as a great fit. As you reflect, write down the ones that stand out most and that show that you possess the skills and qualities you found on the job description. Those are the accomplishments you want to work into your answers.

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Practice Answering Questions Using The Star Method

During your interview, you’ll be required to answer questions about your skills and interest in the position. However, you may be asked behavioral questions to test your situational awareness, so you’ll need to practice answering questions using the STAR method that will turn your responses into a storytelling format that’s easy to follow. You’ll need to gear your answer to success during your academic career since you’re applying for your first job.

Let’s take a look at each step of the STAR method using an example of a student who’s underscoring their experience while in school:

Situation

Describe the challenge you encountered in school and important details the interviewer should know about.

Example:“In my current role as the President of our school’s French club, our club needed to hit our fundraising goal for our club’s trip to Paris in the Summer. Our high school gave us tight deadlines, which lead to feelings of stress on my end.”

Task

Tell the interviewer about your responsibility that helped you rise above the challenge.

Example:“My role is to ensure that we schedule events in the community that help us fundraise and we’re given three months to raise $5,000.”

Action

Explain the strategy you took to complete the goal you set out to finish by the deadline.

Result

Define the outcome reached based on the actions you took. Use numbers and explicit examples to showcase your results when possible.

Reread Your Resume Or Application

Reread your resume? Why would you need to do that? After all, you know your own background, right? Well, sort of.

If you tailor your resume to each job , and youve applied to more than one recently, you may not remember which details you included. That could spell trouble.

You can almost guarantee that the hiring manager is going to talk about your resume. If you forgot which accomplishments you mentioned, you might not prepare to discuss them. Then, if the hiring manager asks which they almost certainly will you might give a stumbly answer.

Review your resume! Know what you said! Remember, your resume might be all the hiring manager knows about you, so make sure you can discuss those points with ease.

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Leave Your Phone Behind

My number one piece of advice for teenagers interviewing for a job today is leave your phone in the car. Putting it on silent isnt good enough. The interviewer and interviewee can both hear the phone going off and it can be very distracting to everyone. I tell my clients that no one is going to care if they cant be reached for 30 minutes. Leaving the phone behind takes away the temptation to check it. During the interview, they need to show they can focus on the job at hand not their social life.

First Round Interview Questions

At Supply Chain Careers, we hear all sorts of anecdotes about the candidate interview experience. We also provide resources to prepare candidates and applicants for the supply chain interview process, including what sorts of questions to expect. Below are some of the most common first round interview questions and our insights on how to best answer them.

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How To Follow Up An Interview

Congratulations! You made it through the initial interview process, hopefully picking up some great job interview tips we provided in the preceding sections.

Don’t stop there. The next part of the process is just as important, if not more so. In today’s competitive job market it’s imperative you follow up your initial job interview with a thank-you email to reiterate your interest in the role, and brush up on your second interview skills.

Read below for tips on what to do after the interview to make it into the next round of interviews – and successfully achieve your dream job.

Come Up With Your Answers

This rule applies to any interview format. Surely, you will be asked to speak about yourself, your last job as well as your responsibilities and achievements. Recruiting firms also often ask about the reasons you left your previous place of work and your salary expectations. Taking even a little time to prepare for the meeting will help you feel more confident.

Here is a list of the most popular questions that you will probably answer during the interview:

• Why are you applying to our company?
• What motivates you to work? What reduces your efficiency?
• What are your strengths and weaknesses?
• What do you expect from your future employers?
• Tell us about the most successful project in your career.

Knowing the answers to these questions will definitely increase your chances to land a job.

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What Are The 6 Common Types Of Interviews

• One-on-one job interviews.
• Lunch interview.

Human resources, management, and employees are possible representatives of the panel.

The members of the panel are responsible for asking the questions that are relevant to their position. Many times companies will conduct a group interview to quickly prescreen candidates for the job opening as well as give the candidates the chance to quickly learn about the company to see if they want to work there. A short presentation about the company is what a group interview often begins with. How you interact with the other candidates is one of the most important things the employer is watching during a group interview.

It is ok to ask the interviewer to schedule an appointment if they unexpectedly call. On a phone interview, make sure your call is turned off, you are in a quiet room, and you are not eating, drinking or chewing gum. When the recruiters ask you a question, chew quietly and in small bites so you dont get caught with a mouthful of food.

Regardless of what type of job interview you go on, always do your best to prepare for it the best you can so you can do your best and show them who you are.

How To Prepare For Job Interviews

This guide is designed to help you effectively prepare for your first conversation with a recruiter, hiring manager, or non-technical team member. You can use this guide whether youre new to interviewing, havent interviewed in a long time, or just want to refresh your interviewing skills. Well discuss some essential interview preparation strategies that range from focusing on your mindset to learning how to present your past experience in the best light possible.

The key to successful interviews is preparation. No matter where you are in your career journeyfirst-time job-seeker, or a mid-career professional making a switch to a new fieldinterviews can make you feel nervous, anxious, and overwhelmed. While its perfectly normal to feel this way, the good news is that there are strategies you can embrace that will help you not only feel better about interviews but perform better when youre actually interviewing.

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First Job Interview First Impression

You may have heard friends and family say that first impressions are important in a job interview, and theyre right. An interviewer wont justify giving you a job if youve made little effort to impress, no matter how great your skills are. That means what you wear to an interview and how you interact with your potential employer will be noticed.

Use some of the research you did earlier to gain an idea of the dress code. If youre still confused, its safer to dress up than down. Wear any new items before the big day, to check if they fit properly and, if youre accident-prone, theres no harm in carrying clothing stain-removal wipes in your bag!

If the company sells clothing, turn up wearing something from their range. If you cant afford it, just find a cheaper outfit that taps into the colours, fabrics and patterns theyve used recently.

Whatever you wear, your body language is just as important. Smile, stand up straight, give firm handshakes and make direct eye contact with your interviewer and anyone else you meet, such as receptionists, cleaners and so on. Dont just save your best behaviour for the interviewer a receptionist would probably report a rude interviewees negative first impression.

Be True To Yourself And Them Too:

Remember one thing, not to lie. What you know you should be frank about that and at the same time what you should tell what you dont know. This would help you a lot in the interview.

Also, get it into your brain that the ones who take your interview are not fools, they are quite experienced people and even if you try to make them fool, you might get caught. So, if you do not want to get caught red handed, then be true to yourself as well as them.

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Review The Job Description

The first step you need to take when preparing for an interview is to review the job description. The job description is chocked full of critical details, including the must-have skills and traits the hiring manager needs to find.

Once you bring up the original vacancy announcement, go over it word-by-word. When you spot skills and qualities, consider highlighting them or writing them down in a list. Anything the hiring manager felt was worthy of inclusion will likely come up during your interview.

Essentially, the job description is a cheat sheet. If the hiring manager listed a skill or quality in the job description you should be prepared to show the hiring manager you possess them!

Why Are You Looking For A Job Or Why Are You Looking For A Different Job

This question might seem innocuous, but this is how interviewers weed out the people who are either a) just looking for any job b) were fired from their last position or c) might have a high turnover rate, meaning you wont be sticking around for too long. Focus on the positives and be specific. Think about why you are looking for a job: did you just graduate and this will be your first real job? Are you switching career paths? Are you leaving a current job for this one?

If you are currently working somewhere, you should also be prepared to answer, why do you want to leave your current job for this one?

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