Job interview is something that makes one nervous right away, specially its frightening to think of facing a job interview for the one who is going to face it for the first time. Well, to be true job interview should be taken with sheer importance & gravity, because firstly it is the ultimate test of the education acquired by the candidate so far & secondly, obtaining or securing the job depends on the performance on the job interview session. These are the reasons a job interview is intimidating for candidates. Sometimes the fear is so much that candidates lose confidence & blunder the session. Here some tips are shared for the job seekers so that the unnecessary fear gets out & a strong sense of confidence settles in.

5 Smart Ways to Prepare for Your First Job Interview: From Personal Experience

1. Listing down the job posts & organizations once applied

Once you have decided to apply for certain posts, you must note it in a diary or notebook with date of application for future reference.  It helps in remembering the organization & posts applied for that makes a candidate aware about the image of the organization, duties to perform in the post.

2. Looking for the company info on the internet

Once there is an interview call received, the immediate next thing to do is to look into the internet to search for the information about –

• The company
• Their history
• Mission & vision
• Main products or services
• Operational policies
• Recent success & future projects

3. Planning the timing to reach & fixing the dress to wear

Sometimes, we think less about these two issues –

• How & when to reach
• What to wear & how to look

But these two things are crucial. Sometimes, we get carried away with the thought that “I have an interview tomorrow, I need to know the probable questions & answers & I can’t fail” this thought influences so much that we forget that I also need to be very much aware about maintaining a professional look & reaching timely. The candidate must be careful about time to wake up on the day & making professional attire available & ready to use. It is imperative that one plans to reach the office before half an hour of time of the schedule.

4. Being prepared to receive an interview call with respect

 It has been observed that today, some students care less about the art of conversation while responding to phone call. This is a genuine reason to be disqualified in being shortlisted in an interview. One must pay sincere attention & respect while receiving a call when you don’t know if that call could be life changing for you. Maintaining sober tone & salutation in speaking to a stranger is a genuine quality. If a candidate has a good score in academic performance but the conversational skill is not pleasing, then chance is low to be winner at the interview.

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5. Getting updated on the post & duties of the job applied for

To be winner at the interview one must do some homework beforehand. When the call arrives that confirms the interview & the schedule, the immediate next things to follow shall be: –

• To get educated about the duties & responsibilities associated with the job post applied for.
• To study about the ways to perform better on the post applied for.
• To analyze the probable challenges associated with the job.
• To find out solutions to the challenges of the job.

Honestly, telling you it should be taken as a project, a personal project where the candidate must opt for winning it & for that listing things down that are essential to carry out to create a winning impression on the interview session. More will be the part two of this article.

Author:  Abu Md. Abdullah 
Assistant Professor 
Faculty of Business Administration 
Eastern University, Dhaka, Bangladesh.
Email: abdullah@easternuni.edu.bd