Practical Advice for Conquering Your Next Job Interview

You’ve studied hard and you’ve finally graduated from Ohio Technical College. You’ve been sending out resumes left and right, hoping to land the perfect job in your desired field, then your phone rings: it’s the place that you applied to (and have been crossing your fingers for!) and they want to interview you. Great! Your foot is in the door. Now, what next? 1) Research the company before your interview. Nothing is more embarrassing than being caught flat-footed during an interview, but a surefire way to bungle it up is by not knowing where you’re applying. Make sure you do your research beforehand, so you at least have a general idea of the company and its philosophies. That way you don’t accidentally say that you’ve always dreamed of working at Company XYZ when they're actually Company ABC! 2) Dress for success. Look, if you’re applying to be a mechanic at an auto body or collision repair shop, it may not be in your best interest to don your finest three-piece suit for your job interview. If you can get a feel for the culture before the interview, try to dress to match it. Make sure your clothes are clean and recently pressed, you’re properly groomed, and your hair and nails have recently been trimmed. The last thing you want to do is to roll in looking unkempt and disheveled. 3) Practice interview questions beforehand. While some interviewers may throw you a curveball, most of the questions that you’ll encounter during your interview are going to be the familiar “tell me about yourself” type of questions. Try to anticipate what questions will be asked and be prepared to answer them with confidence. Try practicing with a friend or in front of a mirror beforehand, if you get the chance. It’ll do wonders for you when you actually go in for the interview! It should go unsaid but never bad-mouth former employers or companies. Do not lie during the interview, either. No matter how hard you try to cover your tracks, the truth will eventually come out. Above all, be yourself – that's who they are interviewing and, based on your credentials (that you earned through your studies here at Ohio Technical College), that is who they want!