10 Ways to Nail the Interview- Before You Sit Down!

I had the fantastic opportunity today to interview some local high school students for a mock-interview project. I had such an awesome time. These kids were amazing! One of the students even took the time to go on LinkedIn and research the company and interviewer. That absolutely blew me away! Most real-life applicants don’t even take the time to do that. Needless to say, that student would have been hired on the spot simply a little bit of work that she had done before she even walked into the door.

Below is a list of some simple yet effective ways to score points before you even start talking with the interviewer.

10 ways that you can nail the interview before you even sit down!

Practice makes perfect! Have mock interviews with friends and family members. You may feel silly but it will help you become more familiar with the process and gather honest feedback.
Check out Glassdoor and look at their Interview Section. You can search for the role and company that you are interviewing for and it will provide you with a listing of commonly used interview questions. If the specific company or job is not listed, search for something similar.
Search for common interview questions & Practice your responses. Make sure that you are prepared to answer these questions and have specific scenarios to support your answers. Rehearse your responses out loud as many times as you possibly can. Practice in the car, in the shower, when taking a walk, etc.
Research the company & interviewer. Research as much as you can about the company and the interviewer. Check out the company website and their social media sites. Search for the interviewer on LinkedIn. Check for any mutual connections that you can reference in the interview to help form a connection. Does the company have any accomplishments or awards? Do they have any causes that they are passionate about? Don’t just look at the company website, dig deeper!
Become familiar with the location. If you are not familiar with the interview location, make sure that you scout it out a few days before the interview. Try to drive there the same time of day that you would for your interview so you can get a feel for traffic.
On the day of the interview, arrive to the location 1 hour early. Sit in your car or a nearby coffee shop to gather your thoughts and do some last minute interview prep. The worst thing you can do is cut it too close! Murphy’s Law is sure to take over and throw off your entire game. You want to walk into the interview cool, calm, and collected. Not rushing through the lobby trying to make it on time.
Arrive at the interview location 10 minutes early. Not a minute earlier or a minute later. The reason for this is if you arrive too early you run the risk of annoying the interviewer. I have had candidates show up 45 minutes before the interview. For one, it is awkward (especially if you have an open office layout and you can see each other). In addition, I just feel rushed when I know someone is waiting for me so it completely throws off my focus. On the flip side, you never want to be there later than 5 minutes before. Any later than that and you might as well be late. I’m difficult to please, I know.
Dress Professionally. Outfits matter and details matter. Always wear a suit, always. Even if you are interviewing to flip burgers at the local fast-food restaurant, if you wear a suit people will notice and take you seriously. While we are at it, make sure it is pressed and neat. Wear nice polished shoes (with socks. You laugh, but I have actually had candidates come in with dress shoes and no socks), minimal jewelry. make sure your nails are well manicured, all of that. To sum this one up, people pay attention to the details! Check out Darling CEO’s Work Attire Pinterest Board for more fashion & appearance tips!
Bring a resume with you. Make sure it is printed on a nice resume paper and bonus points if it is in some type of fancy folder. Presentation matters! Also make sure to give it to the interview, don’t wait for them to ask.
Strong Introduction– Smile, offer a firm handshake, thank them for the opportunity to speak with them, etc. All pretty basic stuff, but sometimes it is the basics that are overlooked when nerves take over.

Your first impression is your most critical impression. A little preparation goes a long way. Nail these 10 tips and you will be well on your way to nailing your dream job!

Starting a new job or looking to? Take the Dominate Your New Job Course. This course will give you all of the tools and resources to dominate our new job within the first 90 days!

Check out the Dominate Your New Job Masterclass!

Check out these related books:

5 Ways to Lift Others Up at Work

Disclaimer: This post may contain affiliate links. This means we may earn a small commission if you use one of the links to purchase a product, at no additional cost to you

I truly believe the sign of a strong influential leader is the ability and willingness to lift up those around them. The strongest people I know are constantly looking for ways to teach, inspire, and advocate for others.

Here are five ways that you can grow yourself by growing others:

Offer to Mentor

Check to see if your company has a formal mentoring program that you can take advantage of.If your company doesn’t have one, check out potentially spearheading one (Check out this article from Inc. for more details How to Start a Mentoring Program). If not, reach out to someone that you see has a lot of potential that you can help develop. Ask them if they would like to form a mentoring relationship. Ideally, you would have someone approach you for this but often times employees can be intimated by more experienced members of the organization. Undoubtedly they will feel honored and relieved that you approached them!

Offer to be a Guest Speaker

There are a ton of ways that you can share your expertise and experience via speaking. Check around for employee business resource groups or clubs. These groups are always looking for speakers to engage their members. Ask another area of your organization if they would like to learn more about you and your particular line of business. Look for opportunities with the local Girl Scout groups or other youth organizations. Not only will speaking give you the opportunity to help others and lift them up, but it will help you expand your professional network and hone your public speaking skills.

Always Coach and Add Value

Some of the best advice I ever received came from people that were not my boss at the time. Always be on the lookout for coaching opportunities with those people around you. Of course, it is critical that you do this in the most delicate and respectful way or you run the risk of developing a reputation for being overly-critical and insensitive. People need to know that you are coming from a good place and have their best interests in mind. Always be looking to provide value and help others.

Recognize Others

Human beings have a deep need to feel valued and loved. Recognition is a great way to make others feel this way. Find ways to recognize those that deserve it. Often times it as simple as a shout-out at a meeting or a handwritten thank you card. Just think of how you feel after you receive encouragement- like you can conquer the world. How awesome is it that we have the opportunity to make others feel that way every single day.

Formal Learning

There are so many ways to formalize your teaching. You can develop an e-book, online course, podcasts, blogs, the opportunities are endless! These methods allow you to gain a much greater reach to help others. Find a topic that you are passionate about and share it with the world!

Now get out there and change the world! I would love to hear how you have been able to lift up others or ways that others have lifted you up. Please share in the comments below.