Six Tips to Prepare Today for Future Interviews

After a year or more of quarantining, people are interviewing and changing jobs faster than they can update their LinkedIn profile. If you aren’t someone who is packing your bags and moving on, you can start getting ready today, before it’s time. Below are six tips to help you better prepare today for future Interviews.

After you review these tips, jump on social media and head to @BeeYoungComms to add tips of your own.

CURRENT POSITION

Get to know those outside of your circle: administrators, those in another office in another city, personnel across the aisle and more.
If you are back working in the office, invite them to lunch and ask them about their job. ASK THEM ABOUT THEM.
If you are still working remote, reach out and ask them to join you on a one-on-one Zoom call. Share a coffee break.
Do you know an avid reader in your workplace? Ask them what they are reading or what they recommend. Then READ it!
Ask your VP or AD what they are reading — then READ/talk to them about it!
People will move in and out of your life — make a commitment to stay connected!

SOCIAL MEDIA

Clean up your social media. If you said a bunch of silly stuff on social media in high school or college – consider deleting that account and starting over.
In addition to your own profile, scan who you follow. Anyone in there you don’t agree with today? It’s easy to unfollow them.
Use a professional photo. Also create a professional email to use across all your social media platforms.
Think before pressing send: would your next boss want to see this post?

Create or Update your LinkedIn: Include each job and your education.
Add volunteer information.
Ask people in your network for a recommendation (it literally takes 60 seconds to do this!)
Cruise the job postings on LinkedIn once in awhile. If you see a job you like, but aren’t ready to push send on your resume, save it. Reviewing current job postings will help you get one step closer to your dream job when it’s time.
Don’t know much about LinkedIn? Reach out today – Bee Young Comms can help!

PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT

When interviewing candidates, ask your boss and co-workers the questions they ask. Keep them for a later date.
When it comes time for you to interview, pull them out and review them.
Reach out to your mentors if they are interviewing and ask them for a copy of their questions.
Don’t have a list of questions and answers? Check out this article for some ideas.
Practice answering questions with your roommate, spouse or pet. Just repeating the answers aloud will help.
Interviewing at times can feel like you are on stage, in front of a camera. For more on mastering your time in front of the camera, click here.

BUILD YOUR NETWORK

Build your network will help you build your NET WORTH
Make a list of people you’d like to get to know better in your profession
Create a Google Doc of names, numbers, emails, information, how you know them.
Reach out to your list for informational interviews. (email no more than a couple of times)
Remind them: YOU AREN’T LOOKING FOR A JOB.
For more on building your own network: click here.
Once you’ve connected on the phone, in person or via Zoom, send them a thank you note. Include your business card. Don’t have one? Get 100 printed at Vista Print for $15.
And once they are a connection — send them a note once in a while ‘just because’. Mention a book you’ve read or compliment them on something they’ve said internally or externally. Be sincere!
For more on building your own confidence as well, click here.

WHEN TRAVELING

If you travel, introduce yourself to those you meet while away from home base.
Introduce yourself to others in the office you are visiting. After a conversation, ask them for a business card.
If you travel for work, from the second you step out of the house to when you return, consider yourself on a business trip. If on an airplane, introduce yourself to your seat mate. I’ve heard stories of friendly passengers receiving job offers and marriage proposals from their seat mate (not the same passenger of course).
If you meet someone interesting, drop them a note thanking them for their time (add your newly-printed business card)