How to prepare for an interview?
When you’re invited to come and meet your potential new employer, of course you want to be well prepared. What to exactly prepare for, then, often becomes a grey area. You would always prefer for the conversation to run smoothly, yet, be sure to present yourself, your experience and your capabilities in the best way. Here’s a little checklist to keep in mind.
- Market
Be sure you’re up to date with your knowledge of the market, its competitive environment and mostly, the trends and development expected on both the short and longer term. Start reflecting these on the current job and profile you’re going to discuss. What does this mean? How could they potentially impact your new role, in both positive and challenging ways? Once your at the table, this could be an interesting topic to further change minds on with your interviewer. - Organization
Almost needless to say, you have to have the basic information of this organization on top of your mind. Dive into mission, vision, values and future strategy. Yet, go beyond reading them and reflect them on yourself. On your experience gathered so far and on your ambitions towards the future. And, on your personality. Asses if they fit you on the longer term, and make sure you have examples in place to prove your worth at the table. - Proposition
Be sure you’re up to a level of sufficient understanding of the product / service offering this organization is selling, and do a little research on its target audience and key customers. From there, run some thoughts about emerging markets, new product market combinations, and other opportunities for the future that you, when hired, might start researching. - Role
As a follow up, think about your first 100 days in this new environment. Where would your experience be of added value directly, and why? Where would you start? What would you like to learn? Once your at the table, gather insights on the interviewer’s idea on this. This will help you in assessing if this opportunity, within this organization, match you. - Requirements
Most possibly, you have some information on the required skills and competences already. For each of them, make a clear reflection on your resume and prepare examples that prove you’re suitable for the job. Use the STAR methodology in doing so: explain the situation you were in, the task that you had, the approach that you chose and the result you delivered. Note: prepare some examples where you did not perform too, including their why and lessons learned from it.
Do you need help defining the right opportunities? Or are you curious if about the possibilities out there? Feel free to contact us! A right moment to know how to prepare for an interview.
At Batenborch, consultants are specialized in Sales, Marketing, and Digital propositions from mid- to top management level. Performing by a candidate-driven, pro-active process. Building on an extensive, international network of top professionals. Operating within the branches Consumer, Industry, Services, ICT or Healthcare. Domains within which we are the benchmark.
