Job interviews are stressful. We know, we do them all the time and see how people react. The good news is you have the opportunity for one of 4M’s expert interviewers to represent you. Now the next step… nailing the the next interview. We at 4M would like to present these 5 tips on how to interview so that you can knock the ball out of the park on your next interview.

1: What to wear: Dressing the part is always important and a first impression is impossible to get back. Many times the interviewer makes the decision on whether he/she will hire within the 1st 15 seconds and it is based nearly completely on the way you present yourself. Unfortunately we can not give one answer to how you should dress in today’s more casual work environment. Wearing a suit regardless of the position applying for is no longer the correct move. Instead, the correct path is to dress one step up to the culture of the environment. The trick is finding out exactly what that level is. The easiest way to do this is to contact a recruiter. More than likely we have had some contact with the company and can give you a leg up on the competition but if that does not work use technology. Most companies have a facebook/twitter/snapchat/etc account which will show employees at work. Take a peek and dress accordingly.

2: Know what to bring: Interviews tend to follow the same format and because of that there are certain things that the employer expects you to bring (even if they say it’s ok that you didn’t).

Those things are:
Multiple copies of your resume
Cover letter
Portfolio of work (if applicable)
Notebook with a pen for notes

When you arrive for the interview with these things it sends a message that you have prepared for this interview and you are taking this opportunity seriously. Also consider what not to bring to the interview. These things include: snacks, your children or mother, or your dog (we know that it’s cute). Furthermore consider what you consume prior to attending the interview and avoid foods that have garlic or onion.

3: When to arrive to interview: There is a happy medium on when you should arrive for an interview. Arrive too early and you have become an inconvenience for the employer, maybe even pressuring them to speed up whatever they were doing so as not to make you wait so long. Arrive too late and you appear as though you do not value their time. We have found that the perfect time to arrive to an interview is about 10 minutes prior to the scheduled time to meet. This do put some pressure on you though. With uncertain traffic conditions and potential pitfalls you may still want to arrive early. Just don’t go in the building. Use the time in the car to prepare for the interview.

4: Interview questions: We can’t say with absolute certainty what your interview will look like but with as many interviews as we have done we know the gist of what is going to happen. Most interview consist of 6 basic questions that you are probably expecting but haven’t taken the time to prepare an answer to:

Tell me a little about yourself?
What are your greatest strengths?
What are your greatest weaknesses?
Why do you want to work here?
Why should we hire you?
Do you have any questions for me?

Knowing what they are going to ask and mentally preparing for the questions is a powerful tool and can change the way that you present yourself in the interview.

5: Leaving the interview: Once the interview is over many applicants do not know how the interview went or if they are still being considered for the role. We do not have a crystal ball but there are a few things that we can tell you that might let you know that the interview went well. Such as, if the interviewer tells you about next steps then the interview went well. It does not necessarily mean that you got the job but things look good or if on the way out the interviewer introduces you to other members of the team then you most likely did a good job on the interview. When leaving be sure to give a firm handshake and leave without questions about how you did. Asking that question puts the interviewer in an uncomfortable position. When you return home make sure you send a thank you letter, either by email or by postal service.

We hope you find these tips helpful. At 4M HR Logistics, we take a great deal of pride in helping people not only find rewarding positions, but also grow personally.
If you have any additional tips you’d like to share, please feel free to leave a reply showcasing your success.