How to prepare for a job interview?

There is plenty of advice on how to prepare for a job interview, but we often do not pay enough attention to one aspect of this process that may be crucial for a job to be obtained.

When interviewing candidates for a specific job, recruiters always analyze the motivation of each person for that particular job, and for the work in the company they applied for. If someone is a great lover of technology and applied for a position in technical support in an IT company, then their enthusiasm will be felt during an interview. Or if someone has studied marketing, speaks great English, and wants to work as a marketing assistant in a company that runs online campaigns, they will certainly be very excited for an opportunity to present their skills and knowledge to get a job like that. This spark in one’s eyes is sometimes crucial when recruiters are choosing the right person for a job, so you should focus on the preparation for an interview about how to show that you are motivated for that particular workplace.

Apply for jobs you are interested in

People who have affinities to particular industries or jobs know a lot about companies operating in given areas. They follow news of the development of these companies, read articles and professional literature on trends within these industries, and are regularly up to date with innovations. It is easy for them, isn’t it? What about those who only ask for better employment in terms of wages, or better team atmosphere, or just regular working hours? Is it possible that companies will employ only those who are in love with their industry? We can say that a company will always give advantage to people who have a strong motivation to thrive and develop in an area that is close to them. On a job interview, motivation to learn about a given area and how much is a person at ease in that area will always be firstly assessed. If, for example, you have a candidate who adores modern technology and is good at solving mathematical and logical tasks, and one whose interests are in the field of communication and international relations, both candidates will be equally considered for a call centre operator. But the job will be given to a person who shows the desire and enthusiasm to learn about their new position.

Think about your motivation for a specific position

In most cases, during an interview, you will be asked why you applied for a job, why you want to work for and what you know about the company. You won’t believe it, but a large percentage of people say they have not read a detailed job description or a description of a company because they thought that more information would be heard during an interview. It is a standard logic, in the sense that a job description seemed interesting to me, I applied for a job, they called me, and now why do I have to prepare for that? If they like my knowledge, I guess it makes sense that they will take me on? Unfortunately, the reality is different though. It has been shown that people who have a strong desire and motivation to work in a specific workplace achieve better results; they are more satisfied with their jobs, learn faster and progress within a company. That is why a company estimates how someone is motivated when they first meet that person in the first place.

Find out more information about the company

The best way to show that you are motivated is to read information about a company and familiarize yourself with how they do business. The first source of information is the company’s website. Here you can see which products/services a company has, what kind of customers they support (whether a product/service is intended for business clients or individuals), what is the tone that a company communicates (whether it is strictly business, or relaxed, more oriented towards young people), which locations the company operates at, etc. Most companies now have a section titled “About Us” where you can see how a company describes itself and its corporate culture. Sometimes there is information about managers who work there. It is always useful when you see resumes, even photos of people who run the company. On Google, search for how many employees there are in a company. This is important information because it is not the same to work for a conglomerate that operates on three continents or a small start-up company with 10 employees. If you have a LinkedIn profile, you can view profiles of all employees in a given company. All this can help you better assess whether your motivation is still at a high level, or you may have concluded that it is not a working environment for you.

If you estimate that this is the right opportunity, then try to remember a few pieces of information (at least about a company’s number of employees and activities) and share that during an interview. Make your efforts, which you have invested primarily to assess whether it is a good opportunity for you, worthwhile. Show recruiters how much you invested before an interview, and convey your thinking why you see yourself in that work environment. It is not easy to get a job with so many competitors, but with such an approach, you increase your chances of actually getting that job!