Interview Preparation

Written by Hannah Ferguson

Preparing for an interview is never easy. Over the next 2 blogs, we have two recruiters giving you all the tips and tricks on how to prepare for your next interview!

Imagine you just heard back on a position you applied to a few days ago and the company wants to set up an interview for next week…how exciting! What do you do next? Prepare! As recruiters, we help people prepare for interviews all the time, so here are a few tips on how to prepare for a successful job interview.

Although it might sound obvious, make sure you know what you are interviewing for. Be familiar with the job and the responsibilities. Go through the job description so that you can refer to specific points if you’re asked what you like about the position or why it’s a good fit. Think about what you have experience doing already, what you haven’t done, or any questions you might have that could help you understand the role better. It’s always helpful to be able to refer to specific points from the job description and show the interviewer that you’ve come prepared to have a thoughtful conversation.

Research the company. Spend some time on their website, it’s important to show interest in the company and know what they do. Our clients tell us all the time how much they appreciate when candidates show genuine interest in the company itself, not just the position, title, or salary. Maybe ask about the company culture, the work environment, what they like about working there, future growth plans, etc.

Know who you’re talking to. We recommend looking up the interviewers LinkedIn profiles and checking out their background and experience. The pharmaceutical industry is a small world, so it’s always nice to make connections where you can. Who knows, maybe you have both worked at the same company in the past or have similar interests that you can discuss!

Review your own resume. You want to make sure that you can talk about everything on your resume and are prepared if they ask you to talk about specific examples or experiences. Some common questions interviewers typically ask are “tell me about yourself” or “walk me through your resume.” You want to be prepared to effortlessly talk through your experiences, ideally without having to look at it.

Finally, relax and get some sleep! If you’ve done all these things, you’re in a great place and should be feeling ready to crush your interview.