I have always gotten nervous in advance of interviews. When I pursued my career change, it had been close to a decade since my last interview. One piece of advice I was given amidst my search was to continue focusing on my self-care to show up as the best version of myself. This advice combined with the proper preparation set me up for a successful interview. I came to my interviews prepared with talking points that I wanted to share and answers to questions that I anticipated. I had specific examples from my experience that demonstrated my competencies that I knew I wanted to work into my answers.
To mentally prepare yourself for an interview, consider the following tips and strategies:
Self-care
In advance of your interview, find effective ways for you to center yourself and calm the nerves that most of us experience when interviewing: you could try exercise, meditation, and positive self-talk. Tell yourself, “I’ve got this! I am prepared, and I know what I want to share about myself in this conversation.”
Focus on the Why
Be prepared with talking points that allow you to express what personal and/or professional experiences make you interested in and qualified for the role. Be ready to answer questions like why this role/organization, why now, and why you?
Do Your Research
Thoroughly review the organization’s website and LinkedIn page and search the web to see if they have been in the news. See what you can learn about the culture of the organization. Identify what resonates with you the most from your findings and make sure to weave this into your responses. Be prepared to answer, “Why are you excited about this organization?” or “What about our mission resonates with you?”
Review the Job Description
Demonstrate your qualifications for the role by sharing past experiences that align with the organization’s desired qualifications. Interviewers will commonly ask behavioral questions. In this instance, remember the STAR method, which stands for Situation, Task, Action, and Result. This method helps you provide a thorough response by demonstrating your past success in handling the specific challenges that employers are asking about.
Highlight Your Strengths
Think about your strongest skills and come prepared to share why they fit your desired job well.
If you are new to interviewing, or if it has been a while since you last interviewed, consider practicing by doing a mock interview with a friend or family member. This will make you more comfortable and give you the opportunity to get some feedback before the real interview. Look up common interview questions for the role you are applying for and prepare answers; you can use ChatGPT as a tool to gather this information.
Additionally, always give yourself plenty of travel time when interviewing in person, dress professionally (and comfortably), and BE YOURSELF. Showing up and allowing the interviewers to respond to the authentic YOU will give you the most important feedback: whether this organization is the right fit. Remember, you want to find something that is genuinely a good fit for YOU; take the interview as an opportunity to learn about the organization as well as to share your experience. ALWAYS have questions prepared to ask your interviewer; sometimes the questions you pose in an interview are even more meaningful than the ones you’ve answered.
Finally, stay positive—taking care of yourself and preparing will put you in a great position to crush your interview. Navigating a job search and interviewing can feel like a job all on its own. By staying positive and making self-care a priority, you’re in a great position to interview strongly.
