April 16, 2019 | 5 min read
The Interview Advice That Career Experts Swear By

Catherine

After sending out several job applications, you’ve finally been offered an opportunity to go on a couple of interviews! Whether you’ve got years of experience under your belt or you’re just beginning your career, putting in the preparation before the big day can help you stand out. A great place to start is by reaching out and/or looking for interview advice.

While you will want to get interview advice from people in your professional network, you’ll also want to look for tips and tricks from established career experts. With years of knowledge and experience under their belts, they will know what hiring managers will be looking for in their next hire, as well as red flags that could hurt your chances of landing the job.

In order to ace the interview and leave a good impression, here are five pieces of interview advice from some of our favorite experts:

Research the company beforehand — Erin Kennedy

According to Erin Kennedy, it’s crucial that you do your company research before going on a job interview. During the hiring process, interviewers will be looking for candidates who have a demonstrated knowledge of the company’s history, what it does, and what it values. Once you’ve set a date for the interview, be sure to check the company’s website to learn more about them and if they’re the right fit for you.

Know how you want to sell yourself to the interviewer — Jacob Share

According to Jacob Share, it’s quite common to be asked to describe yourself using only one word during a job interview. With this in mind, you’ll want to go into the interview with an idea of how you want to market yourself to the interviewer. In order to impress the hiring manager, Jacob’s interview advice for job seekers is to see how your values align with the company’s, and to form an answer based on that.

Learn more about the company culture — Cali-Williams Yost

In today’s workforce, employers aren’t just looking for candidates who can get the job done; they’ll also be looking for candidates who will fit in with their team and the company culture overall. However, it’s just as important for you to determine whether the company is the right fit for your needs. To do this (and effectively show the employer why you should be a top candidate), Cali Williams-Yost advises inquiring more about the company culture. If working from home is important to you, for example, you’ll want to ask about opportunities for flexible scheduling.

Bring questions of your own — Lindsey Pollak

At the end of any interview, your interviewer will likely ask “do you have any questions for me?” In order to stand out,  Lindsey Pollak’s interview advice is to bring a mix of specific and general questions to the interview. Having a few questions of your own will indicate to the interviewer that not only were you listening, but that you’re serious about your future with the company. In addition to helping you leave a positive impression, asking questions about the company can help you decide if this is the right fit.

Know the line between confidence and arrogance — Amanda Augustine

While you want to come off as self-assured and confident during the interview, Amanda Augustine warns against coming off as too arrogant. If you do, she says, it could paint a negative picture of how you’ll interact with and treat your colleagues. In order to stay between the lines of confidence and arrogance, avoid making too many “I” statements and instead focus on how your positive attributes can be an asset to the company.

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