How to Prepare for an Interview

5 Tips to Ace your Interview

When you are job hunting, an online or in-person interview can be both exciting and nerve wracking. Interview preparation can make a huge difference in whether or not you land the job you want. 

Goodwill Workforce Connection Centers can help you with your interview prep. Make sure you are ready to do your best with these 5 tips from our career counselors. They can help you ace the interview and get the job offer you want.  

Know what to write in your resume                  

Preparing for your interview starts before you fill out job applications. Most jobs will require you to submit a resume.

A resume is a document that explains your job history and qualifications. It will include a list of the jobs you’ve held, present your accomplishments and provide details on your education. If you need help writing your resume, Goodwill Workforce Connection Centers are here to provide you with resume inspiration and resume templates to get you started. 

It is important to be honest about your work history when writing your resume. If you have gaps in your work experience, the hiring manager will see those on your resume and might ask about them. Whether you left a job you didn’t like, took time off to be a caregiver for someone in your family, or spent time in jail, be ready to explain why you weren’t working.

You don’t have to (and shouldn’t) overshare personal details in your interview, but you will need to answer the question. The career counselors at your local Goodwill Workforce Connection Center can help you prepare for job interviews. They can help you decide what to say and practice your answers with you. This way, you will be ready for these types of questions.

For example: If the interviewer asks, “Why have you been out of work for the last year?” You could explain that you took time off to care for someone or to address a personal medical issue that you have now resolved. You should not explain the exact situation. Your health information is private. 

This is also true if you’ve changed jobs many times over the past few years. The interviewer might want to know why you held each job for a short period of time or changed job types often. Your career counselor can help you explain your job history and skill set clearly. This way, the interviewer can move on to other topics quickly. 

For example: If the interviewer asks, “Why have you held so many different types of jobs?” You could say that you were trying to figure out what kind of career you wanted. You can explain what you learned from the different jobs. Then, you can explain how your job history has shown you that this job is the right one for you. It is always good to share what you’ve learned and how your skill set has grown in your career.

Know how to answer tough interview questions

From “Tell me about yourself,” to “Why are you looking for a new job,” recruiters and hiring managers often ask tough questions. When answering these questions, it is important that you do not share personal information. The following formula will help you answer hard questions successfully: 

• Tell them how the situation started. You can talk about your current job or your last job. Help them to understand where you were or are working.  
• Explain what was good about that situation or share a success from that job. 
• Explain your challenge. Be sure to place blame where it belongs. If you felt disrespected, did you contribute to that situation? Own it. 
• Share what you learned from the challenge. 
• Share what you plan to do differently now.

Bring energy to the interview

The person interviewing you wants to feel like you are interested in the job. They need to believe you want to work for the company.  

Tell the interviewer you want the job. Be excited about the opportunity. You are a lot more likely to get hired.

Good questions to ask at the end of the interview

At the end of the interview, you will be asked if you have any questions about the company or the job. This is your last chance to make a good impression, so it is important to ask good questions. 

The best way to ask good questions is to learn a little bit about the company. You can find a lot of good information on the company’s website and in the job description. Goodwill Workforce Connection centers offer free internet access. Our career counselors can help you research and make a list of questions. 

Some questions you can ask include:

• Can you tell me about the training process for this job?
• What is the work environment like?
• Do I need to wear a uniform or any other special gear such as a hair net, scrubs, or steel toe shoes?  
• Can you tell me a little bit about the team of people I’ll be working with? 
• Why do people say they like working for your company?
• What are the next steps in this process? 
• When will you make a decision about me?
• Is there anything I shared that concerns you or that I could explain more? 

Ask for the job

Before the interview ends, it is important to ask for the job. This can be as simple as saying something like, “I’m very interested in this job and I hope to hear from you again soon.”  

Present your best self

What to wear to your interview depends on the job you are interviewing for. For most jobs, you don’t need to wear a suit or a fancy dress to your interview.  

In general, you should be well-groomed and wear clothing that is appropriate for the job you hope to get. For example, if you are interviewing for a job in manufacturing, it might be ok to wear jeans to your interview but you probably want to wear your jeans with a button-down shirt instead of a hooded sweatshirt.

If you’re not sure what to wear, ask one of the career counselors at a Workforce Connection Center. We can provide advice on what to wear or assist with obtaining an appropriate outfit. Don’t let clothing be a barrier, we can help! 

Be sure you know the location of your interview. Build in time for things to go wrong. Busses can be late. Sometimes it’s hard to find the door you need to use. 

If you are preparing for a virtual interview, test your internet connection, make sure your lighting is good. If your home internet is slow, we can provide a private space. This space will have a reliable internet connection for your interview. Arriving late or dealing with technical challenges can make you flustered, which will make it harder for you to interview well. 

Every interview is unique and so are you. If you are looking for work and need help finding a job, the Goodwill Workforce Connection Center can assist you. We can help with writing your resume, applying for jobs, and preparing for interviews.