5 Things to Do in Your Next Interview

Most of these tips should be no-brainers, but too often we hear stories from hiring managers about how unprepared some candidates can be when taking part in the interview process. At Beacon Technologies, we make sure our candidates are prepped and ready to go before the interview they have for each client, but here are five easy things everyone should be doing for their next interview if they aren’t already.

Do Your Homework

Research the company or organization you are interviewing with. Review the company’s website, read about their mission, their story, their products and services and about their team. Take advantage of the information you can find out prior to stepping foot into the interview. Find out any current news you can about the company. This can be from their website but also look at other sources as well.

This will be helpful information for you to have when interacting with the person or persons interviewing you and can impress them by showing them that you took the time to do your homework. But ultimately it will benefit you as well. Working for a new employer or client can be a big change. It is important they you find out if they are the right fit for you and your goals too.

Prepare Your Answers

Practice answering common questions like: “Tell me about yourself, and why are you interested in this role with our company?” The idea is to quickly communicate who you are and what value you’ll bring to the company and the role – this is your elevator pitch. You should also come prepared to discuss your salary expectations. If you’re unsure about what salary is appropriate to ask for, do research ahead of time to find the average pay range for the position you’re interviewing for.

Bring Your Resumes

Bring several copies of your resume along to the interview. If you know how many people will be interviewing you, that will help you determine how many to bring but always bring a few extra in case. In most cases, the interviewer will already have a copy, but if they don’t, this will put them at ease and show your preparedness. Don’t stare at your resume throughout the interview. This is meant more for those interviewing you. Your eyes should be focused on those individuals interviewing you.

Another helpful item to have on hand is a notepad so you can take notes throughout the interview. It’s quite common to jot items down throughout an interview that are important to you. It also indicates that you are an engaged participant.

Ask Questions

When you get to the end of most interviews, a common question to expect will be, “do you have any questions for me?” Unfortunately, too often candidates are relieved to be done and will just say they don’t. Have some questions prepared so this doesn’t happen. Some examples might include:

• What would a typical day look like for me?
• Can you tell me about the team I would be part of?
• Why do you like working here?

If you honestly don’t have any questions because all of yours were answered during the interview, you can just let them know that you planned to ask about “insert your topic here” and that they already answered it in the interview.

Find Where You Need to Be & Arrive Early

The day of an interview can be stressful and that’s expected. Relieve some of that stress by driving by the place you need to go for your interview the day prior, especially if you are unfamiliar with the organization or area. This will alleviate any concerns you have about where to go the day of the interview and give you an idea of what your drive time will be.

It can be uncomfortable waiting once you arrive at the interview, but you should be early. We recommend 5-10 minutes early. Any earlier than that, and you can be a burden to the office you are arriving at. So, if you get there earlier, just sit in your car until about 10 minutes prior to the scheduled interview start time and then walk in.

These are just five ways to make sure you make the right impression. Reach out to our team at recruiting@beacontechinc.com if you are in the process of looking for your next career and we can help make sure you make the best impression during your next interview.

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