How to shine in a job interview

Do research on a company is key to success

In a world where competition for great jobs is fierce, just getting an interview is an accomplishment in itself. Considering that open positions often get hundreds of applicants, every stage of the hiring process must be carefully considered. 

Assuming that you have a well-crafted resume and that's why you got the interview, you can still drop the ball at the next critical stage: the job interview. Whether or not you are going to interview for a job in a corporate office or home office, there are a number of things you can do to maximize your time and make yourself shine -- and preparation is the key to success. 

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Research the company

One sure-fire way to wreck your chances of getting hired would be to not do your "homework" on the company. We've all heard this anecdotal advice before, but have you truly embraced it? What, actually, is doing "good homework" anyway?

It's almost a guarantee that they interviewer -- the human resources manager or a high-net-worth individual -- is going to ask the question "Why do you want to work for us?" You are sure to fail the interview if you don't have a well-thought and meaningful answer. 

Think about this: The company probably received at least 100 resumes, so why should they hire you? Assuming you're qualified and that's why they called you in, it's still not enough because there are many other qualified candidates. Why choose you?

Part of your homework would be to understand the history of the company and their mission. What special projects are they working on? What is the CEO passionate about. You need to be able to rattle off intelligent answers. 

Think back to a time where you had to make a decision about buying a phone or car, for example. You've likely met less than enthusiastic people who were trying to sell you something they knew little about. Of course we know what happened, you dismissed them (in your mind) and walked about without the product. Well, the person interviewing you will have the same dismissive thoughts about you if your answers aren't impactful. In short, prove to them you've done a good job with research and make it impossible for them to say "no" to hiring you.