07/04/2015
Congratulations! You did it: you landed an interview for a sought-after position at a top-notch company. You know the competition will be fierce. Who knows how many people will be competing for that coveted slot. It’s more important than ever to be at your best so that you can trounce your competitors.In a field of star applicants, here are seven ways to ace your job interview.1. Work your networkIf you know someone who works at the company – or even know someone who knows someone – get in contact and pick that person’s brain for the inside story. Find out everything you can about the company – new management, new initiatives, general morale, even the personality of your interviewer. If you don’t know anyone at the company, scour your network for someone in a competitive or similar business. Having a deep knowledge of both the industry and the company where you are interviewing will help set you apart from those with only a superficial understanding.2. Interview earlyIf you are given a choice, choose a morning time slot for your interview. Studies show that people who interview in the morning are offered the job more often than those who take afternoon interviews. (A side benefit: you will get the interview over with earlier in the day, too.)3. Aim for the midweekMidweek days are better interview days than either Mondays or Fridays. On Monday, everyone on staff has too many meetings to give an interview with you the attention it deserves. On Friday, most interviewers are ready to leave the work week behind.4. Brush up on trendsBecome an industry insider by going deeper and wider with your research. Read everything; you never know which research paper or annual report will reveal information for a thoughtful interview sound bite. Even if you aren’t asked the question you’ve briefed for, such as “Where do you predict this industry is going in the next three years?,” you can weave your new knowledge into other responses.5. Don't skip the dress rehearsalInterview yourself. Prepare your responses to any typical and outlier questions you can imagine. Then, rehearse in front of a mirror, a family member, or an honest friend. Learn your answers so thoroughly that they almost seem spontaneous. (However, in any follow-up interview, be sure to change your answers a bit so they won’t seem canned.)6. Dress for the job you wantDress appropriately, that is, professionally, for the interview. Depending on the corporate culture of the company, you may want to dress more …