Forget tracking down adequate attire and rehearsing answers to common job interview questions in the mirror. Now that you’re in the 21st century, preparing for a job interview is a little more complicated. There are a handful of things you should be doing to get ready for what could be the most important interaction you have with a potential employer in the modern age.
1. Get to know the company beyond its outer layers.
Before the Internet, a job interview meant spending a lot of time tracking down information about a company. It is important to get familiar with the company before the interview because you can better line up your answers to certain questions with the company’s ideas. For example, if you find out the company highly values their community presence, You can make a point to incorporate something about community appeal in your interview. The easiest way to get to know a company these days is to check them out online. Don’t just scan their homepage, but go to their corporate website, look at their mission statements, and try to get more familiar with their business culture.
2. Clean up your social media presence.
A modern employer is most likely going to do a little further digging than a basic background check to get to know you. In fact, 91 percent of employers check out prospects on social media before an interview. Therefore, it is crucial that your presence online is not one that is going to reflect negatively on you in the eyes of an employer. The last thing you want is your first impression on a potential employer to be from a post you shared at a party over the weekend. Go through your social media profiles, like Facebook and Twitter, and get rid of anything incriminating, such as profane language, obscene posts, lewd photos, or anything that you feel would reflect badly on you.
3. Prepare your story statement.
The majority of job interviews begin with one big question: “So, tell me a little about yourself.” This prompt gives you the opportunity to tell the employer your story, or explain who you are and how you came to be in the position you are in, seeking employment with this specific company. Little has changed in the 21st century where your story statement is concerned, as it is still one of the most important parts of your interview. Before you are sitting before a potential employer and asked for your story, you should know:
- what you are passionate about in life and professional endeavors.
- what steps led you to want this particular job.
- how your previous employment/education/
experience has shaped you well for the job for which you are applying.
Even though a lot of the same interview tips hold true today as they did a long time ago, living in the 21st century does mean you have to spend a little more time preparing and thinking things through. If you would like to know more about preparing for a big interview, contact us at Ad-Vance Talent Solutions for advice.