What to Expect in an Interview:
Common Questions and Occurrences You Should Prepare For

September 25 2019 - You've got to sell yourself. This is true no matter what industry you work in.

Whether you're looking for employment at a company or are an entrepreneur that needs to learn how to be engaging in conversation, interview skills will go a long way for you.

It's important that you learn what to expect in an interview.

This sets a strong foundation for you so you can communicate effectively and represent yourself well. Consider these tips so you ace your next interview.

What to Expect in an Interview

When you want to get hired for your dream job, get past the interview part first. Use these points so you know what to expect:

1. Expect to Go Through Your Past Professional Experience

The company sees who you are on paper when they get your resume. The interview is the next step toward figuring out who you really are.

Expect them to ask you questions about your past employment experience, including failures and accomplishments, what you learned from the previous job, and why you left.

You might also get some questions to check for any red flags. For instance, if you had a large gap in employment or if you were fired from a job, they'll want to find out the reason.

Make sure you remain honest and confident about any of these questions that come your way.

2. Some Questions are Intended to Test Your Capability and Thought Process

The company also wants to make sure you're the most skilled person to take on this new role.

These test questions could come in the form of an actual test, a mock scenario, or just challenging questions to gauge your capability and mental process. It's important that you develop the ability to think on your toes so you're ready for these questions as they come along.

You'll be able to beat out other candidates when you're able to answer these questions confidently.

3. They Want to Get to Know You

Companies want to get to know you as a professional, but it's just as important for them to get to know you as a person.

Simply put, you spend much of your waking life at work, sharing time and energy with the same people each day. Employers place value on choosing people that they like or get along with just as much as they want to get the best person for the job.

In fact, if there's a tie between two candidates, or even if one candidate is slightly more skilled or qualified, companies will overwhelmingly choose the person who they most want to spend long hours with.

Open up during the interview and let them see your personality. When you show yourself to be engaging and personable, it earns you valuable points that make you stand out.

4. The Company Wants to Know Where You See Your Career Going

Is this new position your dream job? A stepping stone? Where do you see yourself in the next 5 to 10 years and beyond?

Companies want to get a feel for where you see yourself as a professional outside of simply being their employee. This will let them know what perspective you will take when filling the position.

It'll also let them know how long you see yourself working there should you get hired.

5. You'll Have the Chance to Ask Questions of Them

Even though they're deciding to hire you or not, never forget that job interviews are a two-way street.

Be sure you have questions for them as well. This way, you'll get a feel for the company culture and will figure out if they're a good fit for your life.

Employers will open the floor for questions you have for them to also get a feel for how your mind works.

6. Subsequent Interviews are a Good Sign

The best thing you can get is a followup interview.

In many situations, followup interviews are more about negotiating a salary or handling HR matters than vetting you as a candidate.

You might also sign some paperwork so that the company can conduct a background check. This might also come with a drug test, with your employment hinging upon the test results.

In this post, you'll get a chance to learn more about hair drug tests, how they work, and what you can expect when taking it.

Regardless of what the followup interview ends up being about, take the time to prepare yourself just as much as you did for the first one.

7. Dress to Impress and Be Punctual

Keep in mind that you are being judged as soon as you walk into the office. Your first impression should be to show up not on time -- but early.

Give yourself ample time to get there so you can account for traffic or any other setbacks. Get a good night's sleep the night before, and have a meditation session or two so you can decrease stress and show up to the interview ready to be yourself.

Grab a fresh new outfit so you're also making an excellent first impression.

Show Up and Show Out at Your Next Job Interview

Now that you know what to expect in an interview, there's nothing stopping you from knocking it out of the park. Let these tips guide you so you can climb the ladder in your career.

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