An opportunity recently opened up at my company that aligned with my career plans. I applied for the position and made it to the interview process. This article will look at how I prepared for this particular interview. The job interview tips I will provide come from my experience as an interviewee, interviewer, and from advice I have received from some very successful mentors of mine.

Step 1: Know yourself

When preparing for an interview, it is imperative that you know yourself. How does this potential job align with your values ​​and priorities? What are the reasons why you are trying to get this job? Is it just the ‘next step’ or does it completely align with where you want to go? Do you know where you want to go? Do you have a plan?

One of the nice things about getting an interview is that it really gives you the push you need to find out who you are and why you want this job.

Do a career/life mind mapping exercise, spend half an hour to an hour brainstorming and really thinking about your future. Do a personal SWOT analysis. What are the strengths that you are bringing to the table, what are those weaknesses that you need to be well aware of? How do you align with this potential position? If you’re really ambitious, take a 360-degree assessment and spend time asking your peers for feedback, this is a good excuse for you to ask some of your colleagues how you’re doing.

Once you’ve spent that time evaluating yourself, compare the data to the position. Is this position a good fit for you and your future employer?

Step 2: Get to know the job

Do your best to understand what this role is about. Depending on your situation, this can certainly be a challenge. If the job you want is internal to the company you already work for, this gives you some advantage, but even if you don’t find out as much as you can.

I suggest you start by tracking down people who work at or near the position you’re looking for. If you know who the previous person who held the position or similar in the same group is, talk to them. Call them on the phone or, better yet, sit down and talk over lunch. Data collection is crucial. Does this stall have customers? Talk to them if possible, find out if they see any gaps, this will help you formulate a plan that you can then articulate to your interviewers.

The amount of time you spend collecting data is completely up to you. Remember that the more you know, the better your chances of answering questions and coming up with a good plan.

Step 3 – Know your plan

Now is the time to take all that information you’ve spent time collecting and come up with a plan. Depending on the type of job you’re trying to get, this could mean different things. For example, if you are applying for a software engineering position, you should have a plan that is relevant to you and the contribution you can bring to the team. If you discovered through your data collection effort that the team you’ll be working with is just getting started with agile development, you may want your plan to include helping the team become familiar with the mythologies of agile development. If you are applying for a manager or director position, your plan should be the Vision you see for the area/team you will lead. Make the plan simple and easy to remember.

Step 4: Practice

You know yourself, the work and you have a plan. Now you just need to practice. Do a quick search on the most frequently asked behavioral questions. Take time to answer these questions out loud. At this point, you’ve spent a fair amount of time preparing, so these questions shouldn’t be hard to answer. By spending time finding and answering questions, it will give you the practice you need to respond confidently. You may also come across some questions you haven’t thought of yet, it’s always better to surprise yourself with your own research than the interviewer.

If you’re interviewing for a technical position, you need to know the area you’ll be working in. Brush up on your technical skills, but make sure it’s relevant to what you’ll be doing if you get the job.

Also, think about the questions you will ask your interviewers. By having thoughtful questions, the interviewer will know that you have done your homework. Some suggestions to help formulate questions are to think in several categories, such as: Strategic, Expectations, Challenges, and Long/Short-Term Needs.

Step 5: Crush the Interview

If you’ve followed the 4 steps above, it’s time to go in and crush that interview. It is very unlikely that your competition has done what you just did. You have done your homework well and now you are ready for this opportunity. It is also very important that you dress for the occasion.

Once the interview is over, do not forget to send an email or thank you mail depending on the environment.

Also understand that there may be many reasons why you don’t receive an offer, but by taking these steps, you know you’ve done everything you could have done. For that alone it is worth the time it takes to prepare. If you don’t get the job, learn what you may not have done well. Call the hiring manager or see if you can get a follow-up interview. This is very helpful and will leave an impact on that person that could help them further down the road.