How to Prepare for an Interview for Your First Job?

Your first job interview is something you will always remember regardless of its outcome. Typically, a job interview lasts about 30 to 45 minutes and often involves three rounds. In general, this includes a phone screening round, a technical round, and an HR round. The phone screening round is a brief surface evaluation of your skills and qualifications, and the technical round comprehensively tests your technical knowledge in line with the role you're being hired for. Finally, there's the HR round, where the recruiters assess your strengths, shortcomings, and how well you'd fit into the company culture.

With so much to think about like what recruiters are looking for, what questions to prepare for, and how to present yourself, it's easy to overlook the basics of a job interview while applying for jobs. So, here are some insightful tips to help you prepare for your first interview.

1. Read the job description carefully

A job description is like an interview cheat sheet as it highlights the core job responsibilities and provides a clear overview of the required skills and qualifications. It also houses salary details, employment benefits, and work schedules. When applying for your first job, take note of these details to assess whether your skills match the job's requirements. After reading the job description thoroughly, your next step should be to research online resources to look for common interview questions and preparation tips. In this way, you will be able to prepare effective answers which demonstrate your skills and match the job requirements, presenting you as a good fit for the role.

2. Review the company's official website

Did you know recruiters are more likely to hire a candidate who is familiar with their company and its services? Therefore, it is important to research the company you are applying to, especially before appearing for an interview. You can do this by visiting the company's 'About Us' page to understand its vision, mission, and values, and reading about the products and services it offers. You can also deepen your research by browsing the company's website, online reviews, and news reports.

As you research, you can also identify a potential area where you can offer an idea/suggestion which can contribute to the company's success. Present this idea during the interview to showcase initiative and leave a lasting impression on the interviewer.

3. Practise different types of interview questions

Interviewers assess your technical expertise and soft skills with a range of industry-specific, behavioural, and aptitude-based questions. Therefore, before appearing for the interview, make sure to practise interview questions with peers and industry professionals or take AI's assistance to prepare using mock interviews.

Here are some examples of the types of interview questions for your reference: Common interview questions like "Why should we hire you for this role?" and "What do you know about our organisation?"; Behavioural interview questions like "Can you tell me about a time when you demonstrated creativity?" and "Share an example where you experienced failure and managed to handle the challenge?"; Aptitude-based questions like "Today is Monday.

What day will it be 21 days from now?" and "A cyclist travels a distance of 12 kilometres in 40 minutes. What is the cyclist's speed?".

4. Prepare questions you wish to ask the interviewer

As an interview is about to conclude, the interviewer might ask if you have any questions for them. This is a great opportunity to express your keenness during the interview process. Here are a few questions you can ask the interviewer:

• What expectations do you have from me for this role?
• Can you tell me more about the company's work culture?
• Do you think my current responsibilities for this role might change in the next 6 months or a year?

5. Negotiate salary based on your experience & market standards

When negotiating compensation related to jobs in India, ensure you have researched the relevant market trends, standard pay, and compensation practices of Indian companies. Once this is done, conduct a self-assessment of your skills, qualifications, and internship experiences to communicate how you can add value to the company. Don't forget to be patient during the discussion to demonstrate your interest and willingness to negotiate.

Now that we have talked about the technical aspects of preparing for an interview, here are some some bonus tips to help you leave a positive impact on the interviewer -

• Stick to a formal dress code: Majority of the interviewers believe that candidates adhering to the formal dress code make a great first impression. Therefore, ensure you follow the dress code guidelines provided by the recruiter or refer to a guide on how to dress for an interview.
• Keep your body language in check: Your body language provides non-verbal cues which significantly impact the recruiter's perception of your suitability for the role. On that account, maintain a professional demeanour throughout the interview. Slouching, avoiding eye contact, crossing arms, and fidgeting are some of the most common body language mistakes you should avoid during the interview.
• Practise active listening: Pay close attention to the interviewer's questions, ask clarifying queries, and show genuine interest in the conversation.

About the author: Shobha Saini is the AVP - Human Resources at Internshala