If you’re looking for opportunity in Utah’s booming tech center coined “Silicon Slopes,” than you’ll need to make sure you’ve got all your bases covered. With any hot job market, you’re going to have some major competition.
So how do you stand out?
We’ve compiled five essential things you should do to prepare for that job interview in Utah’s tech industry.
1. Do Your Research
When you apply for any role within a company, find out as much about them as you possibly can. Things like…
- What products or services do they offer
- What is the company’s mission statement
- What is the history of the company
- What are their core values
- What’s their social feed like
- Read some of their recent blog posts
Knowing what the company is all about is vital. If you do your research you’ll sound more interested to the interviewers. You also not only need to be the right fit for them, but they need to be the right fit for you. Make sure they are a company that you can get on board with.
Before your interview, read up on the job role. Find out who you’d be reporting to, and what type of things your manager looks for in their team. The more you know about the company and the role, the better you can prepare for the questions that they may ask you.
2. Ask Questions
Asking questions shows that you are inquisitive. Prepare a few questions to ask during the interview, or when the interviewer asks you if you have any questions. Make sure they are thoughtful questions and don’t just ask about pay, perks, and holidays. Your questions should further demonstrate to the interviewer that you are the right person for the job.
Questions like:
- What would a day on the job look like?
- What’s the culture like
- What’s your favorite thing about working at the company
Many people overlook the part of the interview where you are asked if you have any questions and assume that it is optional. You are still being assessed, so having questions prepared will mean that you won’t trip up when it gets to that part of the interview.
3. Show That You Are Passionate
You can demonstrate your passion for the job by giving exceptional, in-depth answers about why you want the job, and why you want to work for that company in particular.
Whenever you are allowed to talk about your past experience that is relevant to the position, be positive. Talk about what you learned and enjoyed in any previous roles and never dwell on any negative elements of jobs that you have had.
If applicable, bring along some examples of your best work to demonstrate that you are enthusiastic about what you do.
Before your interview, it is always worth going through the job specification to work out what type of person they are looking for. There may be skills and traits that they mention, and you should look for examples of times that you have demonstrated all of these things. Write up some examples that show that you have all of the things that they are looking for.
4. Send A Letter Of Thanks
After you have left the interview, write a letter of thanks straight away. You’ll want to touch on elements from the interview that you want to highlight and remind the interviewer about, so it is always best to try and get this written while this is very fresh in your mind.
You may want to draft out as much of the letter as possible before your interview so that you can just add any comments relating to the actual interview right before you send it off. You need to get this to your interviewer as soon as possible so that they can read it before they make their final decision about who to hire.
5. Dress The Part
Clothes make the man, and looking the part is everything when it comes to heading for an interview. You need to show that you made an effort. Don’t just turn up to an interview wearing the clothes you’d lounge in, you need to be wearing your best suit.
If you don’t have anything that is up to scratch and you are looking for custom-tailored suits in Salt Lake City, then an interview is an excellent reason to invest in some quality clothing, and you should get yourself fitted up for something that fits superbly well.
Similarly, make sure that you are well-groomed. Get your hair cut, and either be clean-shaven or get your beard trimmed before the interview. You need to look sharp and show that you’re willing to put effort into the details.