It’s no secret that everyone dreams of finding the job that makes them want to get up and go to work every morning. However, this may be harder to nail down than you might imagine. A shift in perspective leaves many starry-eyed employees who attain their so-called dream job frustrated when they realize it is actually not what they had perceived from the outside. When an opportunity comes knocking on your door, you want to be prepared enough to get the job offer while simultaneously determining if the job is actually the right fit for you. Here are some tips to help ensure you nail your interview and get a proper feel for the job and the company.
1. Do your research.
This goes without saying before any interview – understanding the company is critical to showing your interviewer that you are prepared and capable. This includes everything from knowing the company’s mission to understanding their products or services and who their customers are. While this is a critical facet of establishing yourself as a strong interviewee, it is also important to start to understand how you will fit into the company. For example, an organization’s values can tell you a great deal about how it will fit with your aspirations and career goals. Furthermore, it gives you a standard for comparison when you interview (especially if you get the opportunity to do so on-site)!
2. Conduct thoughtful interview preparation that focuses on introspection.
Many people tend to get caught up in job titles, responsibilities, and salaries, without contemplating their actual emotions regarding the specific role and whether or not it is a true fit. To be able to effectively assess a role, you must first understand your own motivations, strengths, weaknesses, and ultimate goals for your future. A useful way to do this is to utilize the wide array of interview questions available on the web. Be introspective and candid in preparing your answers to these questions. This will help you better understand what it is you are hoping to achieve, and how your target company can help you do so. Furthermore, this will help you effectively prepare yourself for a wide variety of potential interview questions as well.
3. Understand your value proposition and own it.
The process of introspection is not just about understanding your purpose – it’s also about identifying where you shine and add value. If you are burnt out applying your strengths in the workplace, don’t worry – many employers are willing to allow movement between different roles once you are established in their company. To get hired, however, you must understand your own value proposition and be able to convey it in an effective manner. Practice verbalizing this prior to your interview, and be prepared to back it up with multiple examples from your past.
4. Be genuine.
When it is finally interview day, stick to what works for you and be yourself. Many employers can see through an insincere performance during the interview process, and portraying yourself as someone else is not beneficial to anyone. Furthermore, being genuine will help both the employer and you identify a key facet of the hiring process – are you the right fit for the company? If you find that your answers are being met with disdain or other negative responses, it may be a good indicator that this company is not right for you. Just remember that when the interview is over, you will still have to be yourself when you go to work!
5. Ask thought-provoking and relevant questions.
Don’t shy away from asking questions that will help you make a well-informed decision. This doesn’t mean trying to make your interviewer uncomfortable, or asking controversial questions for the sake of being remembered. Rather, use the interview as an opportunity to understand how your interviewer perceives the company, both good and bad. This is another occasion where you can apply your pre-interview research to better understand internal operations, and how they compare to the external image that the company projects. If the interviewer declines to answer a question, that’s okay – it never hurts to ask the hard questions about the place where you may soon find yourself on a daily basis.
Armed with these tips, an interview at your dream company should be a breeze. It should also give you a good sense of whether your dream job is actually what it seems to be and if not, that’s okay too. Perhaps it is merely a stepping stone to the job you really want. With 1/3 of our lives spent at work, it is crucial for both you and the company to find a great match.
Here at Nextaff, it is our passion to help match capable and quality employees with the right employer, and do so in a way that is advantageous to both parties. For more information regarding our services, contact us here.
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Who is NEXTAFF? We are locally owned and operated staffing offices devoted to our communities, clients, and candidates throughout the United States. For more job tips and ideas, contact us. We are always hiring, so if you or someone you know is looking for work, check out our job board below and apply today! We are able to service all your staffing agency needs with local staffing offices in Sacramento-CA, Sonoma County-CA, Des Moines-IA, Raleigh-NC, Shawnee-KS, Topeka-KS, Detroit-MI, Kansas City-MO, Gulf Coast-MS, Phoenix-AZ, Miami-FL, Harrisburg-PA, Jackson-TN, Beaverton-OR, Pittsburgh-PA, North Dallas-TX, and Denver-CO.
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