You’re about to learn how to prep for your next job interview. But first—
Picture this:
You’ve been in between jobs for over two months. If things go on like that, you’ll soon use up your life-time savings and start living on Chicken Ramen 6 Pack.
But—
At last, you get the callback from a hiring manager. He wants you to come in for an in-person interview.
Problem?
You’ve only got one shot. If you blow the interview, you’ll be back to job search sites and waking up at 3 AM.
Take heart. In this guide, I’ll walk you through the exact steps of job interview preparation that will 11x your chances of success.
Do robust company research
Nightmare scenario:
You walk into the room and take a seat. The hiring manager starts the interview by asking, What do you know about our organization?
You stammer and say, Well, I don’t know much, to be honest. I was hoping you’d tell me.
Result?
You made it seem like you didn’t do your homework. Worse, you came unprepared and disinterested in the role. That slashed your chances of success.
Good news—
You can flip things around if you know how to do in-depth company research.
First, learn about the company’s heavy hitters. Check the About Us page on the company site and get to know the C-level executives.
If their names pop during your interview, you’ll be able to show you know a thing or two about them and win some extra points.
Second, get a taste of the company’s culture and its core values. Usually, companies have Our Values or What Is It like to Work Here pages on their sites. Make sure to poke around them.
Last but not least, understand how their business works. Check the company product or services and figure out who the company’s clients are. It’ll help you better sell your skills in the interview if you know how the organization operates.
Once the hiring manager sees you did your homework, it’ll slingshot your odds of landing the job.
Understand what salary range is competitive
We’ll have to pass on this candidate. Her salary requirements are too high for us.
That’s the last thing you want the hiring manager to say after the interview.
So—
Before you apply for a job and send your well-crafted resume, have a crystal-clear idea of the going rate for your position in your industry.
Otherwise, you might price yourself out of a job right from the get-go or, worse, sell yourself short.
Best way to do it?
First, check online tools like Totaljobs and PayScale.com to get some robust salary data.
Next, if you’re in touch with recruiters or hiring managers (e.g., from your previous companies), consider reaching out to them on LinkedIn and asking for a salary range to further support your data.
Lastly, it might be a good idea to rip through job ads and see how much a role similar to yours pays.
With a data-backed salary range in mind, you’ll feel much more comfortable when it’s time to talk about money.
Know your value proposition
So far so good.
You’ve done solid company research and you know exactly what salary range is competitive.
Now—
You need to figure out your value proposition and what you’ll bring to the table. In other words, you need tangible proof you’ve been there, done that, and did it well.
Best way to do it?
Make a list of measurable achievements from your previous jobs that resonate with the new job.
It’ll come in handy when the hiring manager asks, Why did you apply for this position or some other variation of this question.
Need an example?
Let’s assume you applied for a job in content marketing. When you’re asked the above question, here’s what you can say:
You’re looking for a Content Marketing Specialist to acquire valuable backlinks for your brand. During my tenure at XYZ, where I held a similar position, I secured an average of 60 high-quality links per quarter through blogger outreach and HARO. I feel certain I’ll be able to replicate my success here and help the organization improve its rankings in Google.
Spotlight your value proposition like so, and you’ll start work on Monday (guaranteed, or I’ll send you a goldfish.)
So—what do you think?
There you have it.
A whopping three tips to get ready for a job interview and catapult your chances of success.
