It’s happened to me more than a few times, so it’s probably happened to you too. You get a call from an employer that you had been waiting to hear from, they go through a phone screen with you and at the end, they want to schedule an interview…… for tomorrow!
How can you fully prepare for an interview that quickly? You’ll soon figure out that I believe being prepared it the biggest key to success in job searching. Assuming you have the time in your schedule to attend the interview and it’s a job that you’re really interested in, here are some things you can do to prepare quickly:
- Do a fresh round of research on the company, the person who contacted you and the person you’re interviewing with. You’ll want to get a better idea of the organization and it’s people before walking into the interview. This information will also help you prepare the questions you will ask the interviewers, which leads to number 2.
- Prepare the questions you will ask the interviewer(s). You’ll want to ask questions that will help you decide if this is some where you want to work and that’ll show that you’ve done your research. Don’t ask questions that you can find the answer to on their website or with a google search. Be sure to at least write out the questions on a notepad and leave space for their answer. If you can squeeze in time to type them out, that would be best.
- Go through you resume and practice your “story”. Most employers will ask you about each position that you’ve had. You want to be able to fully explain what you did, what you accomplished and why you left.
- Check out some questions online that the employer could potentially ask. You want to be confident when you are answering and having an idea of what you’ll say will go a long way. You’ll want to recite your answers with a career coach, friend or in front of a mirror.
- Get your attire ready. Make sure your suit is clean and pressed. The first impression is the lasting impression so be sure to present your best self. Since you never know when you’ll be called for an interview, always have at least 1 suit ready for situations like this. If funds are an issue, check out some of the ideas that I posted on this blog post.
When you apply for a position, you’re asking for someone to call you. When the opportunity comes, be ready. Employers rarely give you notice that they’ll be calling you and many times they need a position filled in a timely manner. If you end up in a situation where you are in a crunch to prepare, doing these basic things will still put you ahead of the competition.
Have you ever been called for an interview at the last minute? How did you prepare in a crunch?