So you've made it through the application process and scored the interview. Great! But now what? Are you ready for the interview?
When it comes to finding the job of your dreams, applying for the job is only half the journey. Think of the interview as your opportunity to solidify a company's decision to hire you. The interview process is their version of saying "maybe," which isn't a "no," so it's important to maximize their interest in you. For those of you intent on securing the dream job bag, the key is in the preparation.
And to help you get prepared, here are three key tips you'll need to rock the interview and get that offer!
1.Research, Research, RESEARCH!
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When you are preparing for an interview, the first major key to success is doing your homework. This doesn't mean just looking at the company website and the "About Us" section. Invest some real time into learning all that you can about the role itself, the company, and the overall industry. Read current news about the company in the press, talk to current and former employees, and gather insight from online forums and review platforms such as Glassdoor. Research industry trends and who the company's major competitors are.
If you are able to get the names of your interviewers in advance, read up on them as well! Take a look at their LinkedIn profiles to get a sense of not only their background and careers, but also any major initiatives they may currently be working on at the company.
Conducting this research will not only provide you with valuable information about the company's culture and values, i.e. "who" the company is, but also what their priorities are and what they look for in the candidates they hire. This helps you to anticipate some of the interview questions you may be asked and prepare confident answers.
In addition, as a segue to Tip #2, doing this research helps you to prepare thoughtful questions to ask your interviewer. It emphasizes that you've done your due diligence on the company and you have command of the industry subject matter.
2.Prepare To Ask The Right Questions
If you don't remember anything else that you read here, remember that you should never leave an interview without asking questions. EVER. Not asking questions shows a lack of preparation and interest. Not exactly the impression you want to leave on your interviewer, right?
But if you want to truly stand out from the other candidates and blow your interviewer away, you will need to ask insightful, thought-provoking questions that show you have done your research and have been diligent in learning about the company (and the interviewer). This means moving beyond the boring questions of "What's a typical day like?" or "What is the company culture?" Essentially, your questions should stimulate meaningful conversation with your interviewer.
Some good focus areas for your questions could be current changes at the company, competitive pressure and industry shifts, expectations for your role and your workgroup, and even the interviewer's career path. Here are a few of my favorite questions:
- What does success look like in this role in the first 12-18 months? What are the first metrics you want to establish?
- What excites you about the future of the company?
- If I was to ask customers about the company, what do you think they would say?
- I recently read about __________ in the news. How do you think that will impact the company's (growth/sales/expansion opportunities) in the short-term?
- I saw that you have been here for __ years. What's the most important characteristic about the company that has kept your career here?
Each of these questions prompts the interviewer to think and deliver substantive answers vs. responding on autopilot.
3.Prepare To Communicate Your Value & Interest
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Not your typical interview tip, but probably one of the most important ones. The two most consequential questions that you will be asked in your interview are: 1) Why should we hire you? and 2) Why do you want to work here?
To clarify, you may not get asked those questions verbatim. But in most cases, your interviewers will find a way to ask those questions in one form or another. The reason is simple: They want to understand what you bring to the table and whether or not you truly want to work for them. So to be sure that you'll give rockstar answers to these questions, you will need to be prepared to communicate the value you deliver and the reason(s) this is your company and position of choice.
If you're wondering, "Well, how do I communicate my value?", this is honestly where you can "humble-brag" about your experience and major achievements. Applying for an Advertising Manager position? Highlight the fact that your last ad campaign increased sales by 25%. Looking to be a Finance Director? Discuss your cost optimization strategy that reduced operating expenses and improved profitability.
No matter the role you are going for, the key is to outline to the interviewer that you not only have the skills (because let's face it all the other candidates probably do too), but rather that you have translated those skills into meaningful contributions and RESULTS. This will help to set you apart from the other interviewees.
When it comes to communicating your interest in the company, you will want to have specific reasons. Vague answers such as "I am looking for a company that provides room for growth" or "I want to work for a diverse company" will not get you anywhere because they can apply to pretty much any other company in the market. The interviewer wants to know why you want to work THERE. So provide concrete, genuine examples based on your company research (there's that research again), and show how they align with your personal values and career goals.
Bonus:
Practice, and then practice even more!
You can prepare all you want, but if you don't practice, you may find yourself entering the interview room still lacking the confidence and poise you need. So take some time to rehearse the questions and answers. You can do it alone in the mirror or enlist the help of family and friends for mock interviews. The more you do something, the more natural it becomes. So the more you practice, the better your responses to the interview questions will flow. Practice will also help you to evaluate your posture and body language to ensure that your nonverbal cues are not off-putting or conveying the wrong message to the interviewer.
Preparing for an interview can feel time-consuming and potentially overwhelming. But remember that you're halfway there! They already like you, or else you wouldn't have gotten the interview. Just put these tips into action, and you'll be able to seal the deal and get the job offer!
For more information about Julia Rock, check out Rock Career Development or follow her on Instagram.
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Originally published on July 1, 2019
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10 of those things are listed down below. And although each of them can benefit you, health-wise, in a myriad of different ways, today we’re going to solely focus on how all of them can be relied upon to get your skin into the kind of condition that you’ve always wanted it to be.
1. Coconut Water Serum
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If you want to get a bit more potassium or antioxidants in your system, coconut water can make that happen. Since potassium is something that helps to keep hydration in your skin and antioxidants are awesome at slowing down the signs of aging, these are already two wonderful reasons to consume coconut water consistently. Aside from that, coconut water is also good for your skin because it contains antimicrobial properties that help to prevent breakouts, plus, it is a solid source of vitamin C which helps to boost collagen production so that your skin has more elasticity.
Wanna hydrate your skin from the outside in? Check out this Coconut Water and Jojoba Oil recipehere.
2. Papaya Masks
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A fruit that also contains a lot of vitamin C and antioxidants is papaya. It also has an impressive amount of Vitamin A in it which is good to know becausevitamin A is a nutrient that can help reduce skin sagging, decrease hyperpigmentation, and even soothe the symptoms that are associated with psoriasis. Since papaya features properties that also fight inflammation, it can help to speed up the healing process of pimples and, if you’re looking forfree radicals to stay far away from your skin, papaya can do that for you as well.
Looking for a gentle way to exfoliate your skin while soothing any skin irritation that you may have at the same time? Check out this DIY Papaya Maskhere.
3. Bone Broth
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I am someone who enjoys cooking withbone broth. If you’ve always wondered exactly what it is, bone broth is simply the nutrients that come from animal bones after they’ve been soaking in water for a long period of time.Since bone broth is packed with everything from protein and calcium to magnesium and amino acids, it’s definitely something that can give your skin a boost of health from the inside out. Specifically, the amino acids in bone broth help to reduce inflammation and help you get a good night’s rest (which is paramount as far as achieving glowing skin is concerned).
Also,the collagen that’s in bone broth can help to make your skin firmer and more youthful-looking. So, if you want to proactively help out your skin, cook with bone broth more often. Within a matter of weeks, you should notice a difference.
4. Black Cumin Seed Oil Cleanser
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I ain’t got not one lie to tell you — when it comes to something that is holistically beneficial for your health, black cumin seed oil is that one. So much, in fact, that there are several articles out in cyberspace (like this onehere) that list over 100 ways that it can do wonders for your overall health and well-being. Your skin will adore this particular oil becauseit contains properties that fight acne, treat psoriasis and eczema, andhelp to dissolve warts. Also, this oil contains antibacterial and antiviral properties that help to keep your skin healthy, in general.
If you’re looking for an all-natural way to deeply cleanse your skin, black cumin seed oil can certainly be of great assistance. You can read more about why and how by goinghere.
5. Watermelon Skin Toner
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On the palate tip, few things make me happier than cubes of watermelon (when it’s in season, which is typicallybetween May and September). Since it consists of92 percent water, you know that watermelon is going to hydrate your skin — plus, the vitamin C that’s in it will do a good job of increasing your skin’s collagen production. Some other great things about watermelon (as far as your skin is concerned) is ithelps to reduce inflammation and oxidative stress and it can evenhelp to even out your skin tone.
A super refreshing way to tone and tighten your skin is to use a toner that has watermelon in it. A quick and easy recipe that will help you to do just that is locatedhere.
6. Hemp Milk Soap
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At the end of the day, hemp milk is a milk alternative that is made by mixing water and seeds from the Cannabis sativa plant (yes, the plant that makes weed) together. Since there are a lot of fatty acids in hemp milk, that automatically makes it “skin worthy” because fatty acids help to hydrate your skin, improve the texture of your skin, and reverse some of the environmental damage that your skin may be experiencing. Since there are also vitamins A, D, and E in hemp milk, that makes it beneficial for your skin as well because vitamin A can help to unclog your pores, vitamin D can help to cultivate new skin cells, and vitamin E can help to smooth out the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.
If you’re looking for a way to soothe your entire body with hemp milk, there’s a cool (albeit ingredient-rich) recipe for how to make hemp milk soaphere.
7. Tomato Paste Mask
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It’s not that I don’t like tomatoes, it’s just that…if I go months without eating one, I don’t really notice. I wish that wasn’t the case too becausetomatoes are a good source of fiber, folate, Vitamin C, beta-carotene, and potassium.Your skin needs beta-carotene because it’s an antioxidant that helps to protect it from UV damage and it reduces the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles that you might have. Some other benefits that come withusing tomatoes for your skin are they reduce skin inflammation, boost collagen production, help to prevent cellular damage and they work well as a skin exfoliant.
So long as your skin isn’t super sensitive (because there is a fair amount of acid that’s in this particular fruit), it will be so happy that you’ve given it a face mask that has tomatoes as one of its main ingredients. StyleCraze has many for you to choose from. Gohere to check ‘em all out.
8. Fig Face Polish
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If you’ve always wondered whatthe difference is between a fig and a date, let’s get free today. Although they both are fruits, figs contain more calcium, aren’t as sweet or sticky and they also have fewer wrinkles than dates do. On the skin health tip, figs contain fiber which helps you to stay regular which can help to detox your system and prevent breakouts.Figs also contain nutrients that can help to speed up the healing process of symptoms that are associated with dermatitis and eczema.
If you’re looking for something that will deeply hydrate and moisturize your skin, figs can do that. Figs also have a pretty good reputation when it comes to removing dead skin cells so that your skin’s texture will be soft and smooth; this is partly thanks to the antioxidants that are in them.
Ready for your skin to have a brilliant glow? Check out this fig face polish recipehere.
9. Aloe Vera and Honey Facials
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There was actually a season in my life when I used todrink Aloe vera juice. Although I preferred to mix it with juice, I must admit that I could tell that it was good for me when it came tomy digestive system. I’m pretty sure that my skin enjoyed it as well, seeing that Aloe vera, internally, also helps to hydrate skin and keep it well-moisturized. If you actually use the gel on your skin,it can help to heal inflammatory acne, speed up the healing process of eczema and psoriasis symptoms and it can even assist withminimizing the appearance of pores.
As far as honey and your skin go, it’s dope because the properties in it will help to treat issues like acne, eczema, and psoriasis, it can soften the appearance of acne scars and it can even brighten your complexion over time.
If you’re someone who is all about DIY facials, this DIY Aloe & Honey Face Mask (here) will absolutely get you right.
10. Zinc Gel for Glass Skin
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A mineral that your skin definitely needs you to have in your system on a consistent basis is zinc. Studies have proven that zinc can do everything for your skin fromhelping to prevent and heal acne and providing it with protection from the sun tosoothing the symptoms that are associated with eczema and rosacea andhelping to repair DNA damage that could lead to signs of aging. Zinc-enriched foods that can help you to receive these perks internally includelamb, lentils,pecans, shiitake mushrooms, and fortified cereals.
Something else that is high in zinc — chia seeds. That said, if you like the look thatglass skin provides, you can actually make a homemade gel that can help you achieve that look. The instructions that will help you to do so are locatedhere.
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All of these are edible ways to achieve beautiful skin, whether you eat them or apply them.
Give them a shot. They’re delicious (inside) and easy (outside) ways to achieve your skin goals without any of the sometimes expensive, chemical-filled drama that comes with a lot of these commercial brands out here. And that’s just the truth.
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