When walking into an interview, you need to have a strategy in mind. Although it isn’t easy, it is worth the time spent practicing. At Reynolds and Reynolds, we prefer you come for an in-person interview, but you are also able to interview online if you don’t live close to the facilities. We want to examine your qualifications, and get a feel for the type of work atmosphere you would thrive in.

When interviewing, you have to ask the interviewer the right questions, use confident body language, and highlight yourself enough to stand out, but still show the ability to be a team-player. To help practice for an interview, follow these tips:

Research the company

Check out its website, explore its social media pages, and see what its latest initiative is. If your interviewer asks you what you know about the company, you can discuss a few of your findings. You can find out more information about our company and the culture of Reynolds by checking out the careers section of our website.

Write down a few questions

Copy them on a piece of paper, or type them and print them out. Have a paper copy of the questions on-hand to keep you from digging into your phone or laptop. Write down questions you have while looking through the website, or questions specific to the position you’re applying for.

Practice interviewing with someone who can offer constructive criticism

Campuses will often host mock interview sessions to help students prepare for future interviews, and will provide someone in your career field to help practice interviewing. You can also ask a professor or someone close to you to help prepare you for the big day. Find someone who wants to help you, and will offer helpful insights to get you ready for the interview.

Rehearse your interview answers on your own

Once you have your greatest strength and weakness figured out, and you’ve practiced them with someone else, practice them by yourself. Try recording your responses to hear how you sound. Listen to see if you say “um” or “like” repetitively. Make the answers sound professional, and practice your posture for answering the interview questions in a mirror.

Interviewing is not something you can master overnight, but with some practice you’ll begin to feel more comfortable. Try not to be nervous, and treat everything as a learning experience. The right job will come along. Until then, make sure you’re ready to interview for it.