1.  Arrive no more than 10 minutes early. 

Arriving too early shows a lack of planning. If you’re early, review your interview notes in your car or find a coffee shop nearby. You don’t want to appear anxious or needy.

2.  Even if your nerves are getting the best of you… 

Just breathe, smile, make eye contact and look interested and happy to be at the interview!

(And, a sidebar note: If your heart is beating out of your chest at the beginning of the interview, here’s a secret on how to break eye contact with the interviewer…

Simply say “As you can see from my resume….” The hiring manager will break eye contact and look at the part you’re referencing on your resume. That will give you a quick second to breathe.

3.  Be prepared for the interview by:

a.   Researching the company, including the website and their social platforms. Have they recently issued press releases or been in the news? 

b.   Reviewing the original job posting. Be prepared to talk about where your skills align. Even better, print a copy of the job posting and have it in your portfolio.

c.   Spending time before the interview rehearsing to bring your resume to life. You’ll have to highlight each of your roles (and, remember last week’s blog – keep out of the weeds!). If you’ve taken the time to create a resume based on my 2-step resume formula, this part will be EASY!

d.   Dash to LinkedIn and look at the profile of the person (or persons) you’ll be interviewing with. See whom you may have   in common. Take note of how long they’ve been at the company and the roles they’ve been in.

e.  If you’re unfamiliar with the area or office building, do a dry run to see how long it takes to get there and if you’re parking, where are the closest lots. (And, find a back up, too!).

f.  Plan what you’re going to wear. And, have a backup as hems fall, zippers break and heels crack. 

4.  Plan some good end-of-interview questions. 

Write out your questions. The less you have to remember in an interview, the better! And, be sure you’re asking some clever end-of-interview questions. 

What is the salary and benefits? That’s NOT a clever question. (If you need help, go to Chapter 9 in the 2^nd edition of “Hired!”.

5.  Ask about the next steps and timing:

If it’s not offered at the end of the interview, ASK when you should follow up…and DO call. You’ll be a stand-out with this one key item as it’s a very RARE candidate who takes this GOLDEN opportunity to follow up.

If you’d like to read more, dash over to your public library or to Amazon to get a copy of the 2^nd Edition of “Hired!”. 

Click here to get your copy: https://tinyurl.com/29pwjcxy

Best of luck with your next interview!!

In a recorded hour-long 1:1 session via ZOOM, I’ll break down every detail that needs to be changed and updated on your resume. (You’ll send me your resume ahead of our session.)

We’ll dissect each and every one of the bullets and I’ll dig to help you uncover your amazing shiny results. (This is something job seekers at all career levels really struggle with!)

I’ll help you create a succinct statement for each of your roles that easily describes your jobs. (This is how I’ll help you to stay out of the weeds in your next interview!)

We’ll cover education, volunteer work, and even interests to make sure your resume is a stand-out. I’ll give you word tracks on how to highlight your resume in a job interview and we’ll cover any burning questions you have about their job search.  



I coach job seekers at all career levels on resume writing, interviewing and all things that are keeping you awake about your job search. 😊

Drop me a line: sheila@hideseekfind.com

Till next time,

Sheila



PS. I love the enthusiasm of many of my readers who are coaching other job seekers in using my material and ideas. Please note that all content is copywritten. If used, the following must appear on your printed or electronic material: 



Copywritten material from “Hired! How To Get The Zippy Gig. Insider Secrets From A Top Recruiter.”, by Sheila Musgrove, 2022