College Students, Have a Job Interview Coming Up? Prepare to Win with These Tips

As college students work hard in school, they may also be working hard to find entry level jobs.  Once the students have impressed potential employers to their satisfaction, they may then be called in for job interviews.  A job interview is the opportunity you have been waiting for and you don’t want to blow it.  So, how should you as a college student prepare to succeed when this opportunity arises?  Here are some tips that can help.

Conduct company research – Obtaining more knowledge of a company gives you a better understanding of what it does, recent events, the culture, etc.  Search the company website and any social media accounts for information that is relevant to the position you have applied for.  As a result, you will know the expectations an employer has for a specific job candidate.

Consider potential questions from the job description – While you may look at a job description as information telling you what tasks to perform, it can also provide you with possible interview questions.  Look at any skills that are mentioned in the description and think about what an interviewer may ask you.  For example, if a candidate is required to have communication skills, one question might be, “How often did you communicate with coworkers on your last job?”  Even though you won’t know which questions will be asked in your interview, you can prepare for some potential ones based on the job description.

Impress with how you dress – The clothes you wear to your job interview make a statement.  If you are not sure what to wear, stop by the workplace to get a better idea of the dress code.  Resist dressing in bright colors, or putting on perfume or cologne.

Ask your own questions – Just in case, bring a list of questions to ask for your interview.  Doing so shows the interviewer you are interested in the position and have a willingness to learn more about it and the company.

Go practice – You can’t get enough practice, right? Even though you might have a good feeling going into an interview, don’t take it for granted.  Review your interview questions and answers with someone you trust such as a family member or a friend.  The more you practice, the more confident you will feel on the big day.

As a college student working on completing your education, you will at some point be searching for an entry level job.  Landing a job interview is an opportunity to prove that you are the best candidate for the position you’ve applied for.  Use the previously mentioned tips to prepare for your interview and boost your chances of winning the job.

Getting a job interview these days is tough. So you must make the most of each opportunity! But how? Where do you start? How do you really impress? And how do you end the interview process in a way that says “Hire me!”?

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