Preparing to attempt wowing hiring managers in a job interview is stressful. A 2016 study by LaSalle Network found that the vast majority (71 percent) of interviewees find the job interview process nerve-wracking.
What do people fear most about interviews? The survey found that concerns about saying the wrong thing, making a bad first impression and showing up late were the top areas identified for interview-related worries.
With this trio of job interview fear factors in mind, here are three preparation strategies that you can use to overcome these specific stressors and shine when you’re being interviewed.
[See: 7 Ways to Crush a Phone Interview.]
Prepare to say the right thing. While some people may feel more confident than others speaking off the cuff, saying the right thing in a job interview generally doesn’t happen by chance. You need to be proactive in figuring out what the hiring managers at the company where you’re interviewing will want to hear. The best way to do that is to learn as much as you can about the company.
You can beef up on your knowledge of the organization through online research, doing a thorough review of the corporate website, the company’s social media sites and recent news articles about the company. You can also talk to people who may have insider knowledge about the firm, such as a recruiter or current or former employees.
As you conduct this research, identify some positive points about company “good news” that you can raise at appropriate junctures during the interview. You might be ready with a comment, for example, about a specific innovative program that the company has initiated, or with a compliment based on what you’ve heard employees enjoy about the corporate culture.
[See: 7 Excellent Sales and Marketing Jobs for 2017.]
Prepare to make a good first impression. There’s no need to fear making a poor impression on the interviewers as long as you’ve done what it takes to impress the hiring team with your professionalism. Think about the type of candidate you’d want to hire if the shoe were on the other foot.
You’d no doubt want to hire someone who immediately radiates poise and can-do energy while convincing you that he or she has the best background and credentials for the job. You’d also want your prospective hire to have all ducks in a row in terms of general interview preparation — by arriving on time (see below), having extra resume copies to distribute as needed and being knowledgeable about the company and the role.
The little things also make a difference in first impressions, particularly in an interview setting. Be sure that you’ve put care into dressing professionally for a business meeting — it’s almost always better to be overdressed than underdressed for a job interview. It also helps to make eye contact with your interviewers, and to keep your general comments and answers to managers’ questions positive and upbeat.
[See: Famous CEOs and Executives Share Their Best Career Advice.]
Prepare to arrive on time. What time is “on time” when getting to a job interview? It’s best to arrive near where your interview will be held much earlier than you need to be there.
While you don’t want to show up at the actual check-in location (such as the front desk where you’ll be meeting for your interview) and announce that you’re ready an hour early, it is smart to allow yourself extra travel time to get where you’re going.
For example, if you have a 45-minute drive to get to the company where you’re interviewing, don’t start driving 45 minutes before your interview starts. Give yourself an extra half hour — or even an hour — to account for traffic delays, parking predicaments and just general logistics that you may need to deal with in getting there. The last thing you want to do is arrive looking frazzled and rushed because you didn’t give yourself enough time to get to your interview.
No matter how nervous you feel about your job search, when you take some time before your interview to properly prepare, you can overcome the fear factor. This will give you the best shot at a top performance when you’re under the pressure of meeting with the hiring team.
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The Top 3 Job Interview Fear Factors — and How to Beat Them originally appeared on usnews.com
