Every interview you have is simply a meeting between the interviewer and yourself where you are asked a number of questions to see if you are fit for the position. Everything else surrounding the interview takes a back seat to this basic setup. For this reason, your performance in answering the interview questions has an overwhelming influence on whether they will be considered for future rounds or given the job. Here, is a list of why it is so important to properly prepare for your interview questions:
- Interview questions and answers are the best way to show you are a good fit. Each interview question gives you a chance to show how your past accomplishments and experiences are meaningful to this job. The interviewer is actually telling you what they think is important for this job by the questions they ask. Therefore, if you plan ahead and are prepared to answer questions you believe they are likely to ask, you give yourself a far greater chance to wow them than you would by going in unprepared.
- If you are prepared, it will show when you answer the interview questions. The best way to make a good impression is to show them you are thoroughly prepared with your answers. By practicing answering common questions prior to the interview, this will allow you to make corrections to your first answers and fine tune your answers to put you in the best light possible. When the interview finally comes, you will have more confidence in your answers and your thoughts. This will come across well in the interview and make you look like a more viable candidate.
- The better prepared you are in your answers means the more time you can spend watching the interviewer. This is important as they will tell you through verbal and nonverbal cues what they deem is important and what concerns they may have about your candidacy. By being prepared, you can pick up on these and adjust your responses so to strengthen your case for getting the job.
- The better prepared you are with your answers also means the more time you can spend sizing up the company and group to see if this is the best fit for you. An interview is simply a meeting where both parties decide whether they are a match for each other. You should not relinquish this opportunity to “see the company” by being unprepared or lacking confidence in your interview answers.
5. Each interview provides a lesson for all other interviews. Sometimes the best thing that can happen is to have a bad interview. This forces you to review what may have gone wrong and makes you a better interviewee. More often than not, it stems to how you prepared to answer a certain interview question. For this reason, learn from the mistakes of others by preparing for your interview questions.