‘Are You Prepared for Your Job Interview? Don't Say Yes Before Reading This eady fora big jb interview can be stressful and the best thing you can do to calm your nerves isto ensure you're adequately prepared, Improvising responses and “questions onthe spot works for some people, but there's no reason a leaveit upto chance, ‘specially Ifyou have your heart set on anew gig. We've simplified your prep work nto 6 Foolproof steps, so you can walk into the interview armed with the information and confidence you need to seal the deal. ‘Step 1: Get Acqualnted withthe Basles IMyowhaven't done so already, lok up the company youre interviewing with onto get an idea of what they do, how big the companys, who thelr competitors are and what thelr business models How do they make money? Whats thelr core mission? What are thelr corporate values? You should be able to answer ll these questions before heading nto an interview with ther. ‘Step 2: Research Your Interviewers It you know who youl be meeting with, look them up and lear about thelr professional ‘background. Find out what thee role at the company entalls sas much detall as you can, ‘a well a8 what previous positions they may have held. Ths wil help you ask more Intelligent, insightful questions during the interview, showing that you're an Informed candidate Step 3:Get Your Q&As Straight ‘On that not, come prepared with few thoughtful questions foreach Interviewer so that you don't fee! pressured to think of them spontaneously. I's also a good idea to review ‘Commonly asked interview questions, and consider what your answers would be. ‘Step 4: Practice Makes Perfect ‘ter you've done the prep work, rehearse your responses to questions you anticipate being asked, either by writing them out or having a fiend or family member ask them. ‘There's no need to memorize a script but practicing can help ensure you fee comfortable talking about your experience, skis, challenges and insights ‘Step 5: Pack Your Bag and Plan Your Outht Get prepared with a professiona-tooking bag or backpack packed with copies of your resume, your portflio,a notebook, a pen and anything else you think you might need for the terview. Pk out what youll wear atleast a day ahead of ime, so you don't have to worry aboutitthe morning a. If you're not sure what to wear, check out photos of the ofce you want to Interview For example, I everyone seems to wear Jeans and T-shirts to the ofce, you efinitely don't want to show up ina sult, but perhaps you'd want to wear a nce palr of dress pants and a button-down shirt. This shows respect forthe format of an interview, ‘ut helps you avoid looking overdressed and out of place. ‘Step 6: at, Sleep and Relax Getting enough sleep and eating well in the days leading up to your interview is crucial ‘when It comes to being atthe top of your game. I's normal to be nervous before a big ‘meeting but don't et that stop you from getting good shuteye the night before and some high quality, nutritious meals beforehand. you're struggling to get to that calm, focused state of mind that allows you to _make the best possible impression, try whatever relayation techniques usually work for you, whether its meditating. listening to a podcast, watching your favorite TV show oF Artng ina high-intensity workout. Now go out Uhre and rush your interview! DISCUSSION ow do you prepare for an interview? Scanned with CamScannerWriting an Application Letter Te following application ete template sts the information you need to Include inthe etter you submatwih your resume when ppg fe pplication terplate asa gleline orate astomied letters se ‘th your resume Contact information ‘The ist scion of our eter should ince iaformatien on hw the employer can ‘contact you Ifyou have contact information forthe enpoyer, cde ha. Others, [Rstist your ifermatio. ‘Your Personal information Fist Name ast Name ‘Senet Addrese, ‘iy, state, Zipcode Phone Number rol Address bate pyr contact items (Ypres) ‘ile Company ‘eoree iy. Ste, 2p Code Saloation Dear Mrs. Last Name or Dear First Parograp ‘Toe ret paragraph of your job applition eter sholdacade information on wy you are writing Mesto he job you are applying for and were you fund the poston If Youhavea contact at the company cage Middle Paragraphs: ‘The next seton your cover eter should describe what you have to fer the company Make trang connectors between out abies ad the equements ited ‘nthe jb posting Merion speccaly how your sl andexperience match theo Expand onthe Information n your resume don'ts repeat ty t supper each "Haterent you make wth pice of eicence Use several shore paragraph oblate ‘ther han one large blockoftext Final Paragraph: Concise your applction eter by thanng the empleyer fr considering you fo the pasion Incide formation on bow you wil follow-up. Slate that you wil dao and Indie when (one weeks ume eye). Youray want reduce hee betwee ‘ending ou your resume and fallow up you faxaremal Scanned with CamScannerApplying fora job: Letter format example George Gilhooley XYZ Company 87 Delaware Road Hatfield, CA 08065 Dear Mr. Gilhooley, 1am writing to apply for the programmer position advertised in the Times Union. As requested, | am enclosing a completed job application, my certification, my resume and three references. The opportunity presented in this listing is very interesting, and I believe that my strong technical experience and education will make me a very competitive candidate for this position. The key strengths that | possess for success in this position include: 4. Ihave successfully designed, developed, and supported live use applications 2. Istrive for continued excellence 3. I provide exceptional contributions to customer service for all customers With a BS degree in Computer Programming, | have a full understanding of the full life cycle ofa software development project. | also have experience in learning and excelling at new technologies as needed. Please see my resume for additional information on my experience. Ican be reached anytime via email at john.donaldson@gmail.com or my cell phone, 909- 555-5555. ‘Thank you for your time and consideration. look forward to speaking with you about this employment opportunity. Sincerely, John Donaldson 18 Scanned with CamScanner