It’s the night before a big interview and you’re freaking out.
Though you’ve been prepping for days—scouring the company website, probing LinkedIn profiles, and picking out the perfect “dress to impress” outfit—you still don’t feel ready. Every possible thing that could go wrong is racing through your mind, and you’re slowly convincing yourself that all of them will happen.
Don’t worry—we’ve got your back. Here are eight articles you should read the night before to help you feel more than ready. So take a breath and start reading. You’ve got this.
Not only did your resume get picked out of a huge pile, but the hiring manager saw something promising on it, hence why this is all happening. You’ve already made it this far—don’t psych yourself out now.
You may not be able to prepare for every single question you’ll be asked, but you can try to prepare for other things that may happen—like spilling coffee down the front of your shirt or forgetting your hiring manager’s name (or both).
It would be unreasonable to expect you to memorize your answers to all of these questions tonight. But you can look them over and get a feel for what you may be asked. Do any immediately make your heart race? If so, start crafting and practicing answers for those.
It happens to all of us—when we’re asked to describe “a time when,” we draw a big fat blank. Before heading in to the office, pick some of your go-to stories you feel can adequately demonstrate your experience and skills.
How many times have you ended your answer to a question with something along the lines of “and, um, uh, yeah?” Avoid trailing off incoherently with one of these tricks to wrapping up your responses clearly.
While you may be the candidate, this meeting is also your chance to get a feel for the organization, its employees, and the position you’ve applied for. Make sure you ask questions, too. And while you’re at it, make sure they’re good ones.
Interviews can be nerve-wracking, and often we end up leaving wondering what just happened and picking apart everything we did and said. These five tactics will help you walk out the door feeling like a rock star.
Between prepping your answers for every question to reminding yourself who’s who, you have a lot on your mind. And the last think you need is one of these common issues getting in the way. Be prepared to conquer any of them.
Just remember—you’ve worked hard to make it into the interview. Now it’s time for the big show, and reading these articles will help you feel good about it both before and after. And when you get home, don’t forget to send a thank you note to the people who were asking you all those tricky questions.