Interview Preparation

You have studied hard to achieve your educational goals, and you have crafted an impressive resumé and cover letter, which have gained you an interview for a job in your field of interest. Now comes the interview, which is the final step in landing the job of your dreams.

An interview is often a source of anxiety for many job-seekers, who worry about making a good impression and fear that, in their nervousness, they may not do so. The best way to overcome this anxiety is to enter the interview feeling well-prepared, which will give you confidence.

So, how do you prepare for an interview?

1. Know about the job – Make sure that you have a clear understanding of the position for which you are interviewing, so that you can tailor your interview responses and questions to the job requirements.
2. Research the company – Find out as much as you can about the company, so that you understand what they offer, their company culture, and how your skills and experience fit with their needs.
3. Prepare Your Answers – No, you will not be given the interview questions before hand, but most interviewers ask the same questions, or variations on the same questions, so you can prepare your answers to common interviews questions, which highlight your strengths, skills, achievements, goals, and experience, and then in the interview, modify your responses to address the specific questions asked.

When you approach an interview feeling well-prepared, you will be better equipped to give cohesive, relevant answers to the questions being asked, as well as to ask relevant questions yourself, about the job and the company, which will demonstrate your interest and preparedness, and show the interviewer that you are the right person for the job.

At Western Community College, we support our students in their efforts to reach their career goals by addressing interview preparation in most of our programs. We want you to succeed and we are here to help you do so.