Job interviews are daunting when you have been out of the civilian workforce for any length of time. In most cases, Veterans are acutely aware that their “military-speak” may not translate well for hiring managers. This can add pressure and stress when facing a telephone or in-person interview. It isn’t that military experience doesn’t transfer well to civilian jobs; in fact, many hiring managers look for the very skills that are fundamental to military training. The challenge is to communicate effectively what skills you have in a language everyone can understand.
Here are 5 tips to prepare for your job interview.
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Research the company, position, and industry
Become familiar with their corporate values by looking at their mission and vision statements. This information can usually be found on their website. Highlight words and phrases that seem important, what values do they hold, what are their goals and priorities. You may find out that customer service is their number one priority, or maybe it is being the best in the industry. By becoming familiar with their corporate culture, you can emphasize the parts of your experience that most closely match.
Look up practice interview questions
Get a list of potential interview questions online and begin practicing your answers. Many people skip this stage because they think it is a waste of time to prepare for questions that may or may not be asked. However, the goal is not to “anticipate” the exact interview questions. It is to start thinking like a hiring manager and begin organizing your thoughts. It also helps you recall your experiences faster during the interview, even for unrelated questions. Don’t just practice in your mind. Write out your answers to help build stronger memory pathways within the actual interview.
Practice speaking out loud and in front of people
Once you have a list of questions and answers written out, try answering them out loud and in front of people without looking at what you’ve written. By practicing out loud, you are training yourself to make small improvements and adjustments before the actual interview. Make sure to speak calmly and with confidence. It is ok to take a few seconds to think about a question before answering. It is also ok to ask for clarity if you don’t understand a question.
Have examples in mind
Hiring managers will want to hear examples of your experience, such as times you demonstrated leadership skills, industry experience, or team work. Sometimes, it is hard to think of examples on the spot if you haven’t prepared them in advance. It is also difficult sometimes to openly praise yourself in public. That’s why it is important to write out specific examples that back up your skills and then look them over before the interview. This can also help translate your military experience into civilian terms. A hiring manager may not understand what a power generation technician is, but they will understand leadership and team work skills if they hear brief and specific examples of the work you performed.
Calming your nerves
Even with all this preparation, the biggest barrier to a successful interview can be our own anxiety. There are several techniques that can help calm your nerves so that it is easier to think quickly and talk calmly when being interviewed. Mindful meditation, slow deep breathing, and stretching can help to calm nerves. You can also visualize the interview going well. Often we imagine the worst, which heightens our sense of anxiety. You can counter this tendency by imagining the best scenarios.