How to prepare for tough interviews

Job interviews are necessary for career growth. You may have all the credentials and apply for jobs, but if you cannot pass an interview, you are staring at joblessness for a long period. Poor preparation is a major cause of failure in interviews. Most people seldom prepare. They think they know everything and take things for granted. The result is a chain of failed interviews.

Have good background knowledge about the company. This includes the location, branches, products and main competitors. Such information can easily be obtained from websites or company magazines and there should be no excuse for ignorance.

Planning purposes

You also need to know the exact location of the interview  - details such as building, floor and even street name. If you are using public means, check out details such as route number, current bus fare and estimated time of travel. You will need this information for your planning purposes. It is rather awkward to tell a panel that you were late because you got lost.

Ensure you are clear about the job at hand. Go through the entire job description and ensure you are well versed with each role. Anticipate questions and prepare your mind for the questions. Have some ready answers for the obvious questions expected in any interviews such as your expected salary and when you can take up a new position.

Ensure you have a check list of all the requirements. If anything is missing, you should have a really good reason for it. As much as possible ensure you are 100 per cent compliant as far as documentation and materials are concerned. As a rule, always provide a clean set of photocopies for all your originals just in case the employer would like to have a copy.

Prepare a set of clothes a day before. Scrambling for what to wear on the morning of an interview is not advisable. Ensure your choice is appropriate, clean, well pressed and matched. Unless you are an artist, extremely flashy colours are discouraged. Also have some cash reserved for transport, lunch and other out of pocket expenses. This helps aver any unnecessary anxiety. If the interview is in an out of town location, it is advisable to travel a day before rather than scramble on the material day.

As much as possible, avoid stressful people, situations and circumstances. Read something relaxing, watch some comedy and retire early. Going out on the eve of an interview is a big no. Set your alarm clock to ensure you wake up on time. What you eat also matters. You do not want to start excusing yourself in the middle of an interview to visit the washroom.

Once you arrive at the interview venue, avoid unnecessary chatter as this acts to disrupt your mind. Keep calm, relax and be positive. Remember this is a job interview not a courtroom. If you have a career coach it is advisable to always have a professional discussion before each interview.

 -The writer is a HR specialist with Peoplelink Consultants Ltd. Email: goretti@peoplelink.co.ke