16 Tips for Job Interviews - Part 1

(Huge disclosure: these are my personal opinions and I cannot guarantee you will land a job. Remember, you may impress them during an interview, but there are other factors that go into being hired.)

You've made it past the phone screen and have a 'real' interview lined up. Congrats! The job interview process can be brutal, particularly in tech fields. Check out my tips for impressing your interviewer and - HOPEFULLY - making it to the next step in the hiring process. 

Tips before the interview takes place

1) Do research - focus on the company. Get past their marketing website and their company history and dig into educating yourself on their products or how they conduct their business. This will prepare you for questions like, "what can you contribute to our organization?", "what would you like to change about our product?" and, my favorite, "why do you want to work here?"

2) Think about hobbies, activities you do outside of work - and make sure they're OK to talk about in a business setting. These could be online courses you're taking to learn a new language or a new skill set. They could be volunteer work, a membership in a non-profit, or even classes in dancing or martial arts. Many companies look for candidates who are 'well rounded.' This will prepare you for questions like, "what do you do outside of the office?" and "talk about a way you're bettering yourself?"

3) Remind yourself that you are more than a job - It can be stressful seeing an interview time pop up on your calendar. Have confidence in your abilities, whether it works out or not. Don't let the anxiety of an interview interfere with your ability TO interview!

4) Know your weaknesses - these would be weaknesses relevant to the job at hand. No one can do everything perfectly. It's OK to admit that and even better to use your 'weakness' to highlight your strengths. Take this seriously, if someone asks you about this they want a real answer, not a joke or, even worse, "I have no weaknesses, I am perfect." It's OK to highlight a personal weakness as well as a professional one. This will prepare you for the question, "what are your weaknesses?" Pro tip: if you are struggling to come up with an answer to this, work with a mentor figure to figure out a few.

(check out Part 2, containing more tips for nailing your job interview!)