Understanding what is expected of you in a professional interview leaves a lot of gray area to be explored. Many job candidates want to know the black and white of what to expect when they enter into a new company or sit before a group of hiring managers for the first time. However, there are not always absolutes when anticipating an upcoming interview. There are common questions that you can think through, and there is definitely a professional air about yourself that you must exhibit. However, there are many ways in which you must read the situation in order to know how to best carry yourself. And that can only be done by practice and more practice.
Reading body language and determining social cues are critical components of a successful interview. Not every office environment is the same, and each interview setup will look a little, or a lot, different. For example, you might ask yourself, when is it okay to joke around in an interview? Where is that line between too casual and too rigid? These potential employers want to know that you are a real person with a real sense of humor or real sense of compassion and concern. However, it can also be tempting to get too personal and share details that are of no value when it comes to weighing in as a potential job candidate.
So, the only way to feel confident about yourself when approaching your upcoming interview is by practicing your delivery and working with career experts such as those at Platinum Resumes to best equip yourself for such conversations. If you have your application out there and are currently searching for a job, then you need to be prepared constantly. That means you must be ‘interview ready’ at the drop of a hat. That said, you can no longer put off what should have been done yesterday.
Although writing a solid resume is important and developing a marketable brand means so much for your career future, much of your possibility in landing your dream job falls heavily in your hands with the interview process. Your resume writer can only get you so far. Your list of references can only provide so much information as to your aptitude. The rest must be conveyed through your professional and sincere delivery in the interview process.
Some companies get the job done and assess what they need in one short interview. Others, however, utilize a very long process with long interviews and multiple sessions. You might be speaking with only one representative or with the whole team, and, often, you do not know exactly what to expect until you set foot in the door.
Preparing for your interview does not have to be an awkward and rigid process. Simply incorporate basic principles into everyday conversations and circumstances. For instance, if you go out to dinner with your friends, practice being more assertive than usual. Go and approach someone new in the store that you do not know, practicing your conversation skills and reading their signals to know when the conversation can press forward and when things need to shut down.
Before the interview takes place, make sure that you read carefully over your resume and all corresponding documentation so that, without question or hesitation, you can provide feedback about particular dates and experiences regarding your career history. Try to visualize your interview as something to look forward to instead of something that you fear. It is just an opportunity to further reveal the authentic package that you provide with proof of why you are the best fit for the job.