In this blog, Chloe Hung, Amazon best-selling author, gives advice on planning for your future.
Preparation plays an important role when it comes to going for an interview. The amount of preparation you put in before an interview may determine your confidence and success level. On the other hand, if you go without any preparation, then you may feel nervous about even attending the interview. Therefore, it would be beneficial if you created an interview plan to help you stay on track with your interview preparations.
Have a pre-interview checklist. A pre-interview checklist keeps you organised and helps you determine if you have prepared all the necessary items before your actual interview.
Here’s an example of what the checklist may contain:
List down the companies in which you are going to have an interview. Then, do your research on the company so that you are up-to-date with its latest news and projects. It is also important that you do research on the industry that the company is in. For instance, if you scored an interview at a life insurance company, take some time to research the latest news, life insurance products, and updates that are going on within the insurance industry. This way, you will come across as a well-informed candidate during the actual interview.
Identify who are your interviewers. Will you be interviewed by one or more interviewers on the actual day? If possible, try to identify your interviewer’s name as well. This is important as you want to use your interviewer’s name during your conversation in the interview. This helps you to create a good impression with your interviewer.
Rehearse your interview with a working professional. This could be a family member, a friend, or a lecturer who is currently working or has worked in the corporate environment. It is even better if you can get a working actuary to help you out with your interview rehearsal. Ask them for tips and feedback when you are rehearsing your interview with them so that you can further improve your own performance.
Identify your personal habits when you are nervous. Keep away from bad personal habits such as tapping of feet, biting your nails, touching your hair, and twitching. Most importantly, always sit or stand in a good posture. Your body language speaks a lot about your character and personality.
Prepare your introductory speech so that you know what to say when the interviewer asks you to introduce yourself. A good introductory speech should give your interviewers a general summary of your credentials, skills, career goals, and value proposition on how you may be able to contribute to the position that you are interviewing for.
Remember, an introductory speech is not about you boasting about how qualified you are for that position. It is about helping your interviewers understand how you can help add value to them and the company. Be sure to keep it under two minutes.
Having a good and systematic interview plan helps in reducing nervousness and stress when it comes to interview preparation.
Therefore, take some time today to create an interview plan for yourself as you are applying for jobs. I have personally done this to help me stay organised and focused when it comes to my interview preparations.
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