{"id":5571,"date":"2016-05-22T12:27:34","date_gmt":"2016-05-22T16:27:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/kerryhannon.com\/?p=5571"},"modified":"2016-05-22T12:27:34","modified_gmt":"2016-05-22T16:27:34","slug":"best-ways-to-prep-for-your-job-interview","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/kerryhannon.com\/?p=5571","title":{"rendered":"Best Ways to Prep for Your Job Interview"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\"aarp,job.expert\"<\/a>Few events in life are more nerve-racking than a job interview<\/a>. You’re onstage, alone, in the spotlight, with strangers grilling you to determine whether you’re the best person for a job that \u2014 who knows? \u2014 could set you on a path to work you love.<\/header>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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“Interviews are interviews: They’re scary, intimidating, and we have a lot riding on them,” says John Tarnoff<\/a>, a Los Angeles-based career coach. They can be even more unnerving if you’re a late-career job-switcher who hasn’t sat in the interview seat for 10 or 20 years.<\/p>\n

So here’s a road map to acing an interview.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

\u00a0Check out the potential employer.<\/strong>\u00a0Start by going to its website. The “About” page will typically give you information about history, mission and people. Read the news or press releases page. Also check the company’s LinkedIn and Facebook pages, and follow it on Twitter.<\/div>\n
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Of course, you don’t want to rely entirely on what the employer says about itself. Search for it on the web and set up Google News alerts about it. Read discussions to get up to speed on what people connected to this workplace are talking about.<\/p>\n

Read article on AARP.ORG<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

See if your LinkedIn network has an inside connection.<\/strong>\u00a0If someone in your network works for the organization, or previously did, contact that person to find out more and possibly obtain the contacts of people in the department you hope to join.<\/p>\n

Networking 101: The Art of Working a Room<\/a><\/b><\/p>\n

Check out your interviewers.\u00a0<\/strong>LinkedIn pages and a Google search should provide some personal background on them. Sure, employers hire for skills, but they also want to have a connection with you. Find out where people went to school and worked.<\/p>\n

Give yourself a “faith lift.”\u00a0<\/strong>OK, you understand the organization. Now understand yourself. If you’ve been out of work for a while, you might be underestimating your own value. Take time to reflect on your best moments, the circumstances you shine in. Query people you trust to remind you of all those talents and skills you’ve honed over the years. Ask them to list two or three things you’re really good at.<\/p>\n

Practice your pitch.<\/strong>\u00a0Get comfortable answering interview questions. They’re likely to include “Tell me about yourself,” “What are your strengths and weaknesses” and “Why are you a good fit for the job,” says Jayne Mattson, senior vice president of\u00a0Keystone Associates, a career management consulting firm headquartered in Boston. You’ll need to “provide concrete examples of your work. This will show the value you will bring to the organization,” Mattson says.<\/p>\n

Make a list of points you want to convey and then practice how to bring them up if the interviewer doesn’t ask about them.<\/p>\n

If you have a job search buddy, interview each other. Consider recording your mock session on your cellphone to review and tweak your answers and presentation.<\/p>\n

Think up questions to ask about the organization.\u00a0T<\/strong>houghtful questions fill out your own knowledge of an organization, but they can also convey seriousness to the interviewer. But make sure they aren’t answered on, say, the employer’s website. You’ll look like you didn’t do your homework.<\/p>\n

Don’t forget to eat.<\/strong>\u00a0<\/b>When the day of the interview arrives, start with a high-protein breakfast. Avoid sugary or starchy foods that tend to give you a quick sugar high. Drink water, but not too much. If you feel better after exercise, perform your normal routine.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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More on Interviews<\/h2>\n<\/header>\n
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