12 answers
Elsa
Student
Charleston, South Carolina
1
Question
Asked
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How can I prepare for the interview process if I have never done one before ?
Do you bring notes? How long do interviews usually last? How can I prepare?
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12 answers
Marketa Hussey
Learning & Development Associate Manager
1
Answer
Brno, Czechia
Updated
Marketa’s Answer
Hi Elsa,
The two answers above are really good, and you could also prepare for the interview by doing a little research on the company. It looks professional, if the person comes prepared - this shows that you are really interested to work for this particular company, not just trying to find any type of a job. And always be yourself during the interview.
Hope this helps. :)
M.
The two answers above are really good, and you could also prepare for the interview by doing a little research on the company. It looks professional, if the person comes prepared - this shows that you are really interested to work for this particular company, not just trying to find any type of a job. And always be yourself during the interview.
Hope this helps. :)
M.
Thank you for giving me advice.
Elsa
Mandi Conger
Title Clerk
46
Answers
Nashville, Georgia
Updated
Mandi’s Answer
Hi Elsa! You have asked an excellent question. Preparing for an interview can be a bit of an intimidating feeling; however, you can always prepare! To your first point, you do not need to bring notes, but you may bring a copy of your resume. They will ask about your work history or any relevant experience you have that may pertain to the job. If you have no experience they may ask why you think that you are a good fit for that particular position. Have confidence in yourself but do not come off as arrogant. I would suggest maybe doing some practice interviews with your parents or a close friend, this will help you gain confidence when answering and allow you to be more prepared for questions. Interview times vary, there is no set time. Some employers like to conduct lengthy ones and some do not. Also some places hold more than one interview. I hope this helps!
Thank you so much!
Elsa
Pluralsight Volunteers
223
Answers
Draper, Utah
Updated
Pluralsight’s Answer
An interview is an opportunity. Make sure to prepare questions. Watch YouTube videos do your research, practice speaking and don’t be afraid to fail reach out to people in that role and ask them questions and also make sure to beat yourself.
Pluralsight Volunteers
223
Answers
Draper, Utah
Updated
Pluralsight’s Answer
Have three questions ready
Take a physical copy of your résumé to the interview
Mentally prepare during your commute to the interview
Make sure to do research online and check out everyone on LinkedIn
Look at the company website, their industry associations
Use the “STAR” methodology
Look at job descriptions, and practice answering questions that could apply to them
Do a mock interview with a friend
Do power poses be confident
Take a physical copy of your résumé to the interview
Mentally prepare during your commute to the interview
Make sure to do research online and check out everyone on LinkedIn
Look at the company website, their industry associations
Use the “STAR” methodology
Look at job descriptions, and practice answering questions that could apply to them
Do a mock interview with a friend
Do power poses be confident
Fatima Nixon
Program Lead
9
Answers
London, England, United Kingdom
Updated
Fatima’s Answer
Research the company so that you have a heads up of recent updates/news. Ensure you understand the company services/products so that if a question comes up that is related to a product or recent news, you are able to talk about the product/event etc ...
Tony Roig
Volunteer
91
Answers
New Hope, Pennsylvania
Updated
Tony’s Answer
Hi Elsa,
I think it depends somewhat on the type of interview and for what position . As a retired Recruitment Manager, I've done and participated in lots over many years. As an example, I usually allocated 20-45 minutes for a "prescreen" type interview, usually the first and initial interview done typically by Human Resources in many mid-large companies, but it can vary quite a bit when it comes to smaller businesses. I found my video interviews typically longer than phone interviews. My questions are more general, conforming, reviewing, verifying and/or clarifying with only a few situational/behavioral type questions I would say for entry level, part-time/internship or non-exempt type positions than manager and professional/exempt type positions. I always recommend preparing for interviews and the extent really depends on the candidate and the position. Since interviewers will likely ask you about your fit for each of the qualifications that were listed on the job description, you may want to review your experience, education (training, certifications, etc), skills, abilities, and knowledge so you can share with them how and why are are well-suited to the role. You can practice by doing a mock interview and your college career office should assist you or you can find someone on your own accord. I understand people utilize AI for mock interviews but I don't know much about their use and effectiveness. Hope that helps and I'm sure others will comment and give you more suggestions.
Good luck,
Tony
I think it depends somewhat on the type of interview and for what position . As a retired Recruitment Manager, I've done and participated in lots over many years. As an example, I usually allocated 20-45 minutes for a "prescreen" type interview, usually the first and initial interview done typically by Human Resources in many mid-large companies, but it can vary quite a bit when it comes to smaller businesses. I found my video interviews typically longer than phone interviews. My questions are more general, conforming, reviewing, verifying and/or clarifying with only a few situational/behavioral type questions I would say for entry level, part-time/internship or non-exempt type positions than manager and professional/exempt type positions. I always recommend preparing for interviews and the extent really depends on the candidate and the position. Since interviewers will likely ask you about your fit for each of the qualifications that were listed on the job description, you may want to review your experience, education (training, certifications, etc), skills, abilities, and knowledge so you can share with them how and why are are well-suited to the role. You can practice by doing a mock interview and your college career office should assist you or you can find someone on your own accord. I understand people utilize AI for mock interviews but I don't know much about their use and effectiveness. Hope that helps and I'm sure others will comment and give you more suggestions.
Good luck,
Tony
I appreciate you taking the time to answer this.
Elsa
Amy Lloyd
Contract Management
32
Answers
Woodbine, Maryland
Updated
Amy’s Answer
Hi Elsa,
The first interview can be scary. The best way to calm your nerves and feel confident is preparation. I would start by researching some commonly asked questions. Here are a couple of examples; "Tell me about yourself", "What skills do you have that would make you a good fit for this job", " why are you interested in this role", "What do you know about our company".
Once you have some questions, prepare a brief answer to each question. It is ok to take notes, but I wouldn't suggest writing a scrip that you would read. You want to have a conversation with the Interviewer, not read from a piece of paper. If you have examples of related work and/or examples that demonstrate your ability to do the job, make a few notes of those examples. Next I would ask a family member, friend or teacher to conduct a mock interview and give you feedback. Practice as many times as you can. The more you practice the more comfortable you will become and the more confident you will feel.
When you get to the interview, you can make the best first impression by (in person or via remote)
1. Being on time (which means 5-10 minutes early)
2. Dress for Success (clear your background if this will be via zoom, ensure you have a quiet space and good connection)
3. Smile
4. Be yourself
5. Bring a hard copy of your resume or send a copy via email just prior to the interview.
During the interview
1. Listen to the entire question before you answer - its ok to pause and collect your thoughts for a second or two
2. Provide concise answers focused on what was the situation, what did you do and what was the result.
3. Have some questions ready to ask the Interviewer 1-or 2 is fine "What does a typical day look like for this role", "What qualities have you found make the most successful candidate for this role".
4. Typically interviews run from 30minutes to 1 hour
5. Thank the Interviewer for their time and ask when you can expect to hear back.
6. Follow-up with a Thank you note via email, using that opportunity to re-iterate why you are interested and why you believe you are a good fit.
I hope these tips help! Good luck to you!
The first interview can be scary. The best way to calm your nerves and feel confident is preparation. I would start by researching some commonly asked questions. Here are a couple of examples; "Tell me about yourself", "What skills do you have that would make you a good fit for this job", " why are you interested in this role", "What do you know about our company".
Once you have some questions, prepare a brief answer to each question. It is ok to take notes, but I wouldn't suggest writing a scrip that you would read. You want to have a conversation with the Interviewer, not read from a piece of paper. If you have examples of related work and/or examples that demonstrate your ability to do the job, make a few notes of those examples. Next I would ask a family member, friend or teacher to conduct a mock interview and give you feedback. Practice as many times as you can. The more you practice the more comfortable you will become and the more confident you will feel.
When you get to the interview, you can make the best first impression by (in person or via remote)
1. Being on time (which means 5-10 minutes early)
2. Dress for Success (clear your background if this will be via zoom, ensure you have a quiet space and good connection)
3. Smile
4. Be yourself
5. Bring a hard copy of your resume or send a copy via email just prior to the interview.
During the interview
1. Listen to the entire question before you answer - its ok to pause and collect your thoughts for a second or two
2. Provide concise answers focused on what was the situation, what did you do and what was the result.
3. Have some questions ready to ask the Interviewer 1-or 2 is fine "What does a typical day look like for this role", "What qualities have you found make the most successful candidate for this role".
4. Typically interviews run from 30minutes to 1 hour
5. Thank the Interviewer for their time and ask when you can expect to hear back.
6. Follow-up with a Thank you note via email, using that opportunity to re-iterate why you are interested and why you believe you are a good fit.
I hope these tips help! Good luck to you!
Colberte B Proctor
Contract Manager
6
Answers
Upper Marlboro, Maryland
Updated
Colberte B’s Answer
Happy to answer this. It's commendable that you are being thoughtful about your approach to interviewing.
- You don't need to bring notes but you should be prepared to take them. Bring a paper copy of your resume and a pen and pad for notes.
- The length of the interview depends on the company. Usually a 1-1 interview is around an hour. You may also encounter a panel interview or several rounds. Depending on the role you would first be contacted by a recruiter who would do a very basic phone screen and ask you some high level questions and give you an overview of the role. If they choose to move forward, you would then interview with a hiring manager. Some companies require references and a background screen post-interview. After that if all goes well you would receive an offer!
Some of the most important things that I have learned in my many years as a professional are the following:
1. Research the company/organization. You want to show the interviewer that you know things about the company, and not just what they do. You want to have a general understanding of their core values, the culture, and whatever high level data you can find ex: what companies they partner with, etc.
2. Be armed with questions about the role. Most interviewers appreciate genuine questions based in curiosity and better understanding, than questions about what the day to day job entails. You can ask things such as 'what qualities would make a person successful in this role?' or 'what are the biggest challenges someone in the role may have to navigate?'. Be earnest about what you think you need to know for you to be happy in the job. In many ways you are interviewing them just as much as they are interviewing you. If they have chosen you to be interviewed they already believe you have some of the technical skills necessary. The other piece is being a good cultural fit.
Good luck job hunting!
- You don't need to bring notes but you should be prepared to take them. Bring a paper copy of your resume and a pen and pad for notes.
- The length of the interview depends on the company. Usually a 1-1 interview is around an hour. You may also encounter a panel interview or several rounds. Depending on the role you would first be contacted by a recruiter who would do a very basic phone screen and ask you some high level questions and give you an overview of the role. If they choose to move forward, you would then interview with a hiring manager. Some companies require references and a background screen post-interview. After that if all goes well you would receive an offer!
Some of the most important things that I have learned in my many years as a professional are the following:
1. Research the company/organization. You want to show the interviewer that you know things about the company, and not just what they do. You want to have a general understanding of their core values, the culture, and whatever high level data you can find ex: what companies they partner with, etc.
2. Be armed with questions about the role. Most interviewers appreciate genuine questions based in curiosity and better understanding, than questions about what the day to day job entails. You can ask things such as 'what qualities would make a person successful in this role?' or 'what are the biggest challenges someone in the role may have to navigate?'. Be earnest about what you think you need to know for you to be happy in the job. In many ways you are interviewing them just as much as they are interviewing you. If they have chosen you to be interviewed they already believe you have some of the technical skills necessary. The other piece is being a good cultural fit.
Good luck job hunting!
Pluralsight Volunteers
223
Answers
Draper, Utah
Updated
Pluralsight’s Answer
Research! Research! Research! Research the company, the website, the mission, the people interviewing you, the job description. Understand the job description and focus on your strengths. Research your network (at school, college, etc.) to understand if there are any mutual connections working in the company.
Pluralsight Volunteers
223
Answers
Draper, Utah
Updated
Pluralsight’s Answer
Start with research on typical how to use through Google YouTube and social media stage a role-play interview with yourself have a few questions to answer and record your natural responses once done. Watch the replay without sound to pay attention to body language then listen to hear how you speak are you happy with both if not practice more. Find an accountability partner to practice with The next time to get live feedback do research to get to know the company potential team using Google and LinkedIn note the job description and have questions to ask on anything you don’t know or need to know.
Pluralsight Volunteers
223
Answers
Draper, Utah
Updated
Pluralsight’s Answer
Practice interviews with friends
Have a list of your best stories and be prepared to tell the interview about
Share challenges and achievements, record yourself in practice
Have a list of your best stories and be prepared to tell the interview about
Share challenges and achievements, record yourself in practice
Pluralsight Volunteers
223
Answers
Draper, Utah
Updated
Pluralsight’s Answer
Practice! Ask someone who will push you to do a mock interview. Prepare by thinking about and practicing how to tell your career story think about things you’ve done -class projects, team sports volunteer, work or hobbies -and how those examples have relevant skills for the job. Think about what questions you will ask the interviewer and consider your own professional conduct for example have a polished outfit. The language choice, eye contact smiling you could also take a course unprofessional, speaking, improv or debate.