Discussion 59: Are You Interview-Ready?

There  are many times when we lose out on job opportunities simply because we are not ready.  We’ve been dreaming of this interview or this job for a long time, but when it finally happens, we fall short because our business was not in order.  Here is a checklist of things that you should be able to do in case you have an on-the-spot interview. Are you ready?

1. Can you explain why you are qualified for the job you are interviewing for in under 30 seconds? If you can’t explain why you should get the job, the employer isn’t going to be offer you the job.

2. Do you have a resume? With the advent of smart phones and e-mail, there is no reason why you should not be able to shoot out an e-mail or print a resume within half-a-day of your interview. You may not even be able to bring it with you, but you should be able to at least say, “Yes, I have a resume; let me get it for you.”

3. You should have at least one interview outfit. You don’t have to have a Brooks Brothers suit or a Chanel dress, but you should have at least one outfit that you can get into that makes you look work-ready. If you don’t have one, places like Goodwill, Caritas or consignment shops are awesome for finding things to interview in, cheaply and in some cases, free.

4. Can you answer questions about your qualifications? It’s one thing to be able to tell someone what you did, but it is a completely different thing to answer questions about how you did them. Practice some interview questions with your family or friends. The best offense is a good defense. If you have answers ready for the questions, then, you’ll sail through that interview with flying colors.

1. Do you know the location of your interview? There is nothing like doing a little research about the positions that interest you. You need to know where they are, what they do, and what the company is all about before you even step in the door. There is so much information out there for you to research. When they ask you why you want to work there, you should be able to tell them exactly why.

Good Luck!