5 Job Interview Tips

By now you probably know the importance of arriving to an interview promptly, dressing appropriately, and bringing hard copies of your resume. However aside from these run-of-the-mill preparation tips, there are a few things that not everyone may be conscious of.

See below for some important job interview tips to utilize while on the job hunt:

Clean Up Your Social Sites - About 91% of employers will screen a candidate’s social platforms for any red flags - think “suspicious” images or profanity. As such, you’ll want to make sure you are proud of the image you’ve put out on social media. Nervous some of your skeletons may be found? Let Social Sweepster clean up your pages for you.

Craft Your Story Statement - Most interviews start with the same prompt, “Tell me about yourself,” or “Walk me through your resume.” Instead of simply reciting your resume and cover letter, talk about hobbies you have in addition to “real” experience that relates to the position. A Story Statement shows you are a person, not only a professional.

Do Your Research - Make sure you have a thorough understanding of the company and position you are applying for. Review the employer’s website, social channels, and set Google alerts. This way anytime a new story appears online regarding your intended company, you can receive an email alert to stay in the know.

Don’t Disguise Your Weaknesses - When asked about strengths and weaknesses, the interviewer is expecting a real response. But keep in mind, explaining your weaknesses isn’t really what the question is asking - rather showing the steps you’ve taken to overcome them.

Ask Smart Questions - Smart questions do not include anything about paid time off or salary, but rather questions that show your desire to be part of the company (“What have you enjoyed most about working here?” or “How would you describe the ideal candidate?”). These questions can be genuine while still conveying something new about you, like for example: “I was fortunate to work with Habitat for Humanity in college, as a full time employee are there company-wide community service events I could take part in?

For more tips to help before, during, and after your interview - check out this Forbes article.

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