10 tips to get ready for an interview

Have you found your dream job, but you’re not quite sure how to prepare for an interview? You really want to land the job yet you are afraid you might not give a good impression when meeting your potential bosses. Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered. We’ll take you through the steps on how to get ready for an interview. Whether you are interested in learning how early to arrive before an interview, how to prepare for an internship interview or how to dress for a job interview, we have it all covered.

Interviews can be intimidating and you’re not sure what to say about yourself in an interview. This doesn’t have to be difficult, however, it does take time to prepare and make sure you leave the room like a champion. We will summarize the importance of body language during an interview and also on how to get ready for an interview in English. Let’s see how to prepare for an interview!

1. Arrive on time to the interview

The best way to prepare for an interview is by making sure you have everything set before you even leave your house for the interview. You might be wondering how early to arrive before an interview. Should you be there 5 minutes, 10 minutes before or arrive right on time? When to arrive for an interview definitely depends on many things. First of all, always leave early enough to allow yourself time to find the office in case you’ve never been there before.

Once you have found the place, if you have about 10 minutes left, just go to the front office and let them know you have arrived. Being punctual is a good sign as they will see you are reliable right from the beginning. You can chat with the employees at, front desk or you can just sit down and review your documents. Don’t be on your phone and don’t wear headphones! Let’s see the rest of the tips on how to get ready for an interview.

2. What to know about a company before a job interview

The first question the company will ask you is what do you know about the company. So what to know about a company before a job interview? You should definitely know what are the main activities of the company if they have any major clients, when was the company founded and so on. You don’t have to know their capital and detailed statistics, just show that you have been on their website and actually know what you are applying for. How to prepare for an interview can be easy when you have done your research before the interview.

At the end of the day, if you are trying to get a job, it should be second nature to learn about the company. Not just for the interview, but for your own personal benefit. You should also want to know what they do and if the role will suit you in the long run. Also, don’t be afraid to ask questions. We will get to this part in a bit as well! Do you want to know how to dress for an interview, women? Let’s see the next topic then.

3. How to dress for a job interview

This can be quite a difficult task. How to dress for a job interview? Most of the time you will want to look professional and not show up in casual clothing. How to dress for an interview, women, can be quite simple. This is the time to bring out those blazers and skirts. If you are wearing a skirt to the interview, make sure it’s not too short as that can look unprofessional. Wear a nice blouse and button it up, don’t show a lot of skin! There are so many options in stores nowadays, at affordable prices. You can really just look like you were made for that role just by dressing up smartly.

So how to dress for an interview women? Keep it simple, keep it professional and use minimal makeup. After all, makeup is also a part of your “attire” and if your clothes look polished but you are wearing too much makeup (like crazy smokey eyes) then you beat the purpose of the outfit. An interview is not a fashion show thankfully. If the company said that the dress code is casual, then, of course, don’t turn up in a suit. Again, this just proves how research can help you on how to get ready for an interview.

4. Learn how to listen actively

This is a personal favourite. Active listening plays such a huge role in our daily lives. It will help you avoid misunderstandings with anyone. If you show that you are able to actively listen to your interviewer you are already making it on their shortlist. Let’s think about how to get ready for an interview and learn to listen and understand the questions? You can practice with someone else beforehand. For example, if you have anyone who’s been to an interview recently just ask them to sit down with you and ask you a bunch of questions. When you listen to the question, paraphrase it and then answer the question. This way in case you misunderstood the question they can correct you before you bother to answer.

The best way to prepare for an interview is also by looking up questions online. Some of the companies will mostly ask the same questions. Such as ‘Have you been under pressure and how have you dealt with it?’, ‘How do you make sure you don’t miss deadlines?’, ‘Can you work well individually or in a team?’ and so on. These can be quite similar as depending on the role, you will almost always face yourself with deadlines, you will almost always have to work both individually and within the team. Even if you haven’t had the experience yourself, by researching these questions, you can read about scenarios that will give you an idea of what to say.

5. How important is body language in an interview?

How important is body language in an interview? Nonverbal communication is the most important. Although you think your words surely mean more than your body language, that is definitely not true. You can say that you have been in a situation before, yet your body language clearly shows that you are nervous and maybe not quite telling the truth. When you are thinking about how to get ready for an interview, you have to practice your composure in the mirror before the interview. Or you can even practice with a friend. You will want to straighten up, try not to cross your arms or legs under the table. Try to smile and just have a good mood overall. Having positive energy before and during the interview can really change everything and get you on that shortlist.

To summarize the importance of body language during an interview, I would avoid playing with anything. With your pen, paper, tie, blouse. Whatever it is, just try and relax. Look into the eyes of the interviewer, try not to look away too much while you are talking, this could mean that you are fabricating the answers. I know it might sound harsh, but keeping eye contact can determine a lot of things.

6. Don’t be too confident, but be confident enough

When I say don’t be too confident, I mean try not to give the impression that you know everything. Nobody knows everything. Whenever you start a new job, you will have to learn the companies policies, language and so on. Of course, you can be prepared with answers, however, there is no right or wrong answer. You are showing them that you are capable of taking on the role and even if you don’t know everything, you’re always keen on learning and taking on extra responsibility. Employers definitely love it when they can see someone who’s willing to work overtime when it’s necessary.

To summarize the importance of body language during an interview, it is also important to look humble. Even if you are sitting straight up, make sure you are not raising your nose in the air as this might give them the impression that you know better. Like I mentioned before, try to just look in the eyes of people, smile and reassure them you are a nice person with your gestures. How to get ready for an interview can be simple when you have practised everything. As they say, practice makes it perfect! Let’s see other ways to prepare for an interview.

7. How to prepare for an internship interview

You can apply all of these tips in the interview when preparing for an internship interview. How to prepare for an internship video will pretty much be the same as how to get ready for an interview for a regular position. The difference is that you might now be paid and maybe it is actually your first real job. If that is the case, you should just be honest. Let’s get real, very few people can afford to work for free for a company. If you are doing this it means you are interested in learning and you are passionate about it. That is great because it will help you sell yourself. To summarize the importance of body language during an interview and on how to dress for an interview women. Always dress to impress!

How important is body language in an interview in this case? Same as before. Body language, arriving in time, what to say about yourself in an interview are all important. You just want to make the best impression on the person who might be your boss in the future. I know it can be stressful because you really want the job so you’re stressed about not making a mistake or say the wrong thing. They are also people. You don’t have to look at them like they are your superior or anything. They are human beings just like you and me. Just try to relax, be yourself and I’m sure if the interviewer sees that you are relaxed they will also be more engaging and even help you say the right things.

8. Be kind and polite

This might be very obvious, however, saying ‘thank you’ and ‘please’ is crucial. You want to show your future employers that you are polite and you are ready to help whenever it’s needed. Thanks to the pandemic we have been staying home a little too much and maybe we didn’t have to communicate to people, we might have forgotten to socialize. This is your reminder to not forget to be polite and also be kind. Kindness is so overrated.

Has anyone started yelling at you before and you didn’t yell back but instead treated them with kindness? Did they calm down a bit? I am sure they did. It is contagious. They might need a little bit of time, however, they will come around. If you are kind to someone, they will automatically be kind to you as well. It’s just human nature really. If you are yelling at someone, they are more likely to start yelling and arguing. It’s quite easy to follow the steps on how to get ready for an interview right? We’re almost at the end now!

9. How to get ready for an interview in English

This tip is for all of our foreign readers. In case you are in a foreign country or you just know the interview will be in English even though that is not your first language, have no fear. How to get ready for an interview in English then? If you are having the interview in English, it means you have applied for a position that will also be in English. You do not have to be afraid in case you make mistakes. Whether they are native speakers or not, nobody is going to condemn you for using some words incorrectly. How can you learn if you don’t make mistakes?

It’s really easy to practise how to get ready for an interview in English. I have mentioned this before, just go and ask a family member to help you. Or anyone who speaks English. Research the company and tell the person you are practising with to ask you questions about it. You can also find regular questions asked during interviews and practise those. Just as you have practised English to get to a higher level, you’ll have to do the same with the interview. We’re sure you’ll do amazing, so just believe in yourself!

10. Every experience teaches you a lesson

Even though I gave you a few tips on how to get ready for an interview and land your dream job, it might also happen that you won’t actually get the job. If that is the case, it is absolutely fine. I have had about 8 jobs so far and I’ve been to more interviews than that and I didn’t get the job. Kept wondering what was wrong with me, what I could’ve said to change their mind and see that I was fit for the job. There was probably nothing I could’ve said to change their opinion. That role was just not for me and if I waited a little longer, I would’ve realized that something much better was coming on the way.

You can have the best way to prepare for an interview, you can know exactly when to arrive for an interview and also how to dress for an interview, yet you still might not succeed. Don’t let this discourage you. Every minute you spend with those people, learn from them, absorb the words. Guess what? Even if you feel like you haven’t said the right words, there is still a great chance that they loved you and will offer you the position. Just be positive about it!

Bonus tip- What to say at the end of an interview

The image probably describes how you would feel once the interview has finished, however, before that, here are a few ideas on what to say at the end of an interview. If you haven’t asked any questions about your role, company and future colleagues then now is the time to do that. You are not the only one being interviewed. You are also there to see if the company is really for you and you want to spend the next months/years of your life with them. I always like to ask them ‘why is it good to work for XYZ?’, ‘what is the one thing you love about your role?’, ‘what would you recommend to newcomers?’. They don’t have to be complicated questions, however, you will find out from the answers whether you want to accept the offer or not.

What to say about yourself in an interview is just down to how much you prepared. Companies also like to ask what are your strong and weak points, so make sure you also include these. You can also ask your interviewer where can the company improve and see what they say. This might take them by surprise, but if they genuinely answer it, then you know they will do everything to make you feel welcomed and you have picked correctly.

Best way to prepare for an interview

So there you have all the 10 tips on how to get ready for an interview. Don’t forget that when to arrive for an interview is probably the first important step you need to take and will determine how the rest of the interview is going down. How to dress for an interview, women, is also crucial when you want to land a job. What to know about a company before a job interview can also make your future employers seem impressed with you.

Lastly, you just have to know what to say about yourself in an interview and have to be confident enough to sell yourself. I hope I have given you the best way to prepare for an interview and let me know if you have got your dream job by using even one of these tips!