How to Pass Job Interview

Interviews are sometimes your one and only chance at making a good first impression and sell yourself as a viable candidate for a job. Spending a bit of time ad effort preparing for the interview can be the deciding factor in whether or not you make it to the next round, or get the job. Learn to plan for success, approach the interview properly, and avoid common mistakes in job interviews to give yourself the best chance of getting a fresh start.

Getting Prepared

Do some research about the company ahead of time.
You will make an impression as a serious candidate if you come to the interview with some background knowledge about the company and the direction in which it’s heading. Try to figure out the goals of the business or the organization that you're applying for a job with, getting some sense of their style and the way they situate themselves against their competitors.

Focus on using the vocabulary that shows up on the company’s website. If you’re applying for a serving job at a “farm-to-table” restaurant, you should probably be familiar with what that means. If you're applying to work as an editor with a holistic magazine, you need to do some research into holistic medicine.
Knowing your interviewer's name and some details about that person's role in the company can help you have a more conversational dialogue during your interview, which often leads to the interviewer forming a more positive impression.

Anticipate and practice your answers to common interview questions.
The most stressful part of the job interview is figuring out how to answer the questions that you’ll be asked. What does the interviewer want to hear? Trying to do some digging and anticipate possible questions will help you practice your answers before hand. Come up with answers that are sincere, but still reflect positively on you as a candidate. Frequently asked interview questions and possible answers include:

What do you know about this company?
Why are you a good fit for this company?
What do you bring to a team?
Describe a time when you overcame a challenge at work.

Come up with a good strength and weakness.
What is your most difficult work-related challenge? What is your biggest strength? Biggest weakness? These are some of the most commonly asked interview questions, and the interview is the last moment you want to be struggle for a good answer. You'll be asked this question in almost every single job interview.

Good answers to these question are sometimes couched in self-praise: "I'm very organized when it comes to my work and my schedule, but you'd never know it if you saw my desk" is a good answer. Likewise, "I tend to take on responsibilities but sometimes forget to ask questions when I need help" can be honest and effective.
If you're applying for a leadership position, it's important to emphasize your leadership qualities and your self-reliance. A good strength might be, "I'm good at communicating my vision to people and getting others excited about a common goal." A good weakness might be, "I have to remember to slow down and take on one project at a time. Sometimes I want to do too much.
If you're applying for an entry-level position, the interviewer won't be looking for you to prove leadership credentials. A good strength might be, "I follow directions extremely well and I'm a fast learner. If I don't know how to do something, I'm always keen to learn and improve, so I won't have to ask twice." A good weakness might be, "I'm not always the best idea person, I'm mostly happy to help other people implement their ideas.

Bring some good questions of your own.
Interviewers will often ask if you have any questions during or after the interview, which can throw a lot of first-time interviewees. Asking a question shows you are engaged in the conversation, so come up with a list of questions to ask so you are prepared in case you can't come up with one quickly when you are prompted. Good questions might include:
How do you like working here?

What does someone need to be successful at this company?
Who will I be working with most closely?
What do the day-to-day operations consist of?
Is there room for growth with this company?
What's the turnover like for this position?

Avoid clichés.
Interviews are a time to let your potential employer get to know you, the real you, not a pumped-up, cliched version of yourself who's giving canned answers to Try to get a job. The purpose of the interview isn't to suck up, show off, or tell the interviewer what they want to hear. The purpose is to give sincere answers, not to insult the interviewer's intelligence. Avoid interview lines like ”My only weakness is that I’m a perfectionist" or "This company needs someone like me to turn it around.
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Complete all necessary documents ahead of time.
Depending on the interview process, it is really helpful if you bring along an extra copy of your resume, references, work portfolio, and a cover letter, if applicable. Look over all documents for typos and grammatical errors. If you have time, give them to someone else to review and catch any silly mistakes you may have missed.

It's also important to familiarize yourself intimately with your resume, CV, and other application materials. It can look suspicious if you have trouble recalling content from your resume, so you want to make sure all names, dates, and described responsibilities are clear.

Dress the part.
Pick out an outfit that makes you look professional and feel confident, as well as something that matches the business to which you’re applying.
In most cases dark-colored suits are appropriate for interviews, unless you are interviewing for a job with a very casual dress code, in which case dress pants and a clean, collared shirt are appropriate.

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Read How to Pass Job Interview - Part 2
How to Pass Job Interview - Part 3