Most of the fresh graduates start to look for jobs, or some even before they actually graduate. Perhaps is it your situation right now, and you have already a job interview in the next few days. This is certainly one of the most important parts of this process and one thing is certain: recruiters want to know with whom they are dealing. So, for this kind of situations, the better prepared you are, the more likely you are to get your first job.
In this article we will cover how job interviews are generally conducted and then see what you can do to prepare accordingly.
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What’s a Job interview and how does it go?
Job offers will attract candidates, whereas job interviews are designed to select the best candidates for the open position. A job interview can be conducted in many ways nowadays, due to the advanced technologies. It can therefore change from its general form, but will always have the same purpose. The recruiter will ask a serie of questions with the intent to know more about you. This will help the recruiter determine whether or not you are the best fit for the job. In addition, recruiters are in charge of finding the next employees that will support the company in its goals and mission, but more importantly its vision.
In order to do so, the recruiter will ask you questions about your educational background, your work experience, and even your personality. Most of this will be based on what they have found already in your CV. So you should prepare yourself to give some good arguments and information supporting all of this. Last but not least, recruiters will sometimes also have tricky questions to find out who you really are. If so, try to stay with both feed on the ground.
Over the course of the interview, your interlocutor will likewise question you about the responsibilities and details of the job you are applying for. After the recruiter has covered everything, you will be free to ask any question as well. Make sure you do, because it will show a real interest in the job.
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How to do it all right
Now, let’s go through some advices that will help you to prepare yourself so you can be a good fit, an attractive candidate and hopefully bring value to the company.
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Research the company:
The recruiter will judge you on 3 things: your sincerity, your interest in the company, and your skills. Therefore, you need to read the job description carefully and try to know as much as you can about the company. Things you should look for are the companies’ history, when it was founded, who runs it, its philosophy, what they do and so on. You need to understand how this company positions itself in the world. Research will already bring you halfway through the interview.
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Practice interview:
Repetition is one of the best ways to prepare for a job interview, as said “practice makes perfect”. There are many ways in order to do so, like ask family and friends interview you, rehearse by yourself. Make use the many scripts of cliché series of questions and/or do a serious roleplay. The better prepared you are, the easier it will be to overcome fear and anxiety during the interview.
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Skip if necessary:
As a job interview is all about questions, do not worry about questions that you do not want to answer or you do not know the answers on. It is allowed to skip questions regarding certain topics like private relations or about political views(1). Moreover, when asked a question that you do not know the answer for, just say you do not know. This will actually show that you understand your boundaries and are humble enough to ask for help when needed. And last but not least, it hopefully shows the recruiter that you are honest and eager to learn.
So remember, when called in for a job interview, the intent is simple. The recruiter tries his best to see whether or not you are the best fit for the position. Once you are called in for a job interview, go do your research about the company and try to know as much as possible. Then practice for your interview so you’ll get used to being asked difficult questions and be more at ease answering them. In that manner, you will be able to deal with pressure. And finally, don’t be afraid to skip a question you are asked, especially when you do not know the answer. Apply these advices for any job interview you will encounter in the near future. Good luck!
By Mahmoud Diop LO
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