Advice in general for people going in for an interview

Background on Me: I am a Hiring Manager for AIL Canada. I am in charge of calling people to book interview appointments, as well as administering interviews.

Essentials when going in for an interview:

 

#1: Dress Professional

#2: Bring 2 fresh copies of your resume

#3: Research the company a little bit

#4: Have a question at the end

 

You want to make sure you look professional, no matter what job you are applying for. What would look better to a potential employer? Think about this and answer honestly in your head. Who would you want to hire, a man in dress pants and a dress shirt? or a man wearing jeans and a t-shirt?  For me, that is an easy question. The man wearing the dress pants and the dress shirt. I will tell you why, dressing professionally shows that the man cares, not only about his appearance, but about his potential opportunity with the company. It makes a good impression on the employer.

 

Why should you bring 2 fresh copies of your resume to an interview? One is for you, the other is for the employer. It shows that you have come prepared for the interview. Also, some people get nervous during job interviews. So when the employer asks them a question, they can look down at their resume and answer clearly, instead of trying to answer off the top of their head. It is a guide, for when you get stuck so that you can look less nervous. It adds to the professional impression you give the interviewer.

 

You want to research the company before you go in for your interview. Scratch that, if you are applying for a position, you should research them before you apply. The reason for my belief in this is because you will want to tailor your resume for that position. It would be hard to tailor your resume with out knowing #1 what the position is that they are hiring for, and #2 what skills that position requires, as to outline that in your resume. Researching the company is an essential part of preparing for an interview. You want to show up to your interview prepared, and knowing what you are getting yourself into, with the belief that you are the best person for the job.

 

Having a question, might not neccesarily be a key part of the interview process. Although, having a question shows that you are interested in the company. Unless of course, your question is "what do you do?" Then it shows you weren't prepared in the first place. Most employers, will go over a bit of information about the company. So if you do not have a question, you can always say "I did, I had a question about "such and such" (what ever they had mentioned) but you already answered it for me previously." This shows you were listening to what they had to say about the company, and that you at least tried to come up with a question.

 

Last but not least, keep this in mind. Interviews should not be a robot interaction. Keep the interview conversational, ask them questions back or if you are unsure about something. If the interview is conversational, rather than a robot interaction, it will most likely ease the pressure of going through the interview. You will end up appearing relaxed and confident.