It’s summer and my kids are already bored, so we try to do something fun on the weekend as a family. Today was another summertime lesson learned and I just hope I can walk tomorrow without too much pain. I’ve been a road biker for a long time and love it, but living near Vail everybody mountain bikes too. In an effort to keep my kids busy for the summer, we bought new mountain bikes. It sounds so easy, let’s go for a bike ride – reminds me of a Keenan blog I read recently too. So off we went this morning on a leisurely bike ride. Much like Keenan’s story I thought I could just go out and ride, but I just haven’t been exercising lately. Unlike my kids who are gymnasts and practice (with conditioning that would likely kill me) 4 days a week, I’m not in such great shape. The beginning of the ride was pretty easy until we hit the hills, then my lack of preparation really showed. I was breathing hard and my kids were kicking my butt. Lucky for me, it’s the what goes up must come down, so once I got through the big hills, I knew I could breathe easy for a bit as we had some downhill to go. Towards the end of the ride when my kids were so far in front of me I couldn’t see them anymore, it hit me, since I was alone and thinking. I need to do this more often and get more exercise. I need to plan for the next ride and be more prepared! Let’s compare my lack of preparation to interviewing for a new job. If you are a job seeker your road to finding a new job will be much easier if you are prepared for the interview BEFORE you get one. Do your research, some planning and know that it make take you more than one interview to find that “dream” job you’re looking for. Here are some ideas to help you prepare for your interview:
- Research the companies that you are interviewing with including: their websites, social media links (Linkedin, Twitter, Facebook Pages) and Google them for any news on the company.
- See if you have any connections at the company on LinkedIn and network with them; learn as much as you can about the company.
- Review the LinkedIn profiles of the people you will be interviewing with and understand their backgrounds.
- Practice interview questions and answers. Be ready for various types of interview questions. Have a good story to share about yourself.
- Have questions to ask your interviewer. Check out The top-10-list-for-interviewing for some great questions to help you prepare and share with your interviewer how YOU can help them solve a few of their current challenges.
- Always dress in professional business attire for the interview, even if they are a casual environment.
- Know the location of the company, how to get there and be on time. Actually be at least 5 minutes early.
- You only get one chance to make a first impression, so be confident and passionate.
- Never bad mouth previous employers or companies you’ve worked for.
- Send thank you emails to everyone you interviewed with.
As much as I’d like to keep up with my kids, I have to be realistic and know that if I don’t prepare better and get out on my bike more often, I’ll never be able keep up with them. So, if you’re the sort of person that says “I can just wing the interview”, think again. It’s a competitive job market out there. Do your homework and put some effort into your preparation for the interview. It will be worth it when you get the job offer. Now go kill your job interview!