How To Prepare For An Interview In 9 Steps
You’ve applied for a position and got contacted by a hiring manager. Congrats, the first step is completed: you’ve got noticed, and now it’s all in your hands. Now you have an opportunity to impress, ask questions and get to know more about your future workplace. However, the job interview is not a coffee break with your friends, you must be prepared and even ready to demonstrate your skills in case, you’ll be given a chance on the spot.
Before going to an interview, you should research the place so that you know the exact location and the menu. Try to understand how the staff is dressed. What does the restaurant look like? What is the general vibe? Do staff members work as a team? Do you feel that you would fit in? Ideally, you should spare a few minutes of your time and visit the place before the interview, or you can research it online. Check the place’s website and social media and TripAdvisor as well. You might want to check not only the timeline that the restaurant has created but also the tags that are coming from the guests.
When applying for a position as a chef, you might visit the restaurant, study the menu, and perhaps even order and eat a meal. Doing your homework about the potential employer makes you look interested in the job and committed to the new employer.
Before going to an interview, you should check if you can tick all the boxes below:
- Plan transportation (you know how tricky it can be to catch the right bus in Malta, check the recommended route on Google Maps and also routes & timetables on Malta’s Public Transport website) to arrive a few minutes early.
- Be fresh, clean, and immaculately groomed (for men, freshly shaved or carefully trimmed beard or moustache; for women, simply styled hair and daytime light makeup).
- Make sure your hands are presentable and your nails are clean.
- Make sure your clothes are clean, well-pressed, and in good condition. Shoes should be freshly shined and in good condition. Take a look at what the staff is wearing when you visit and dress accordingly.
- Wear only simple, subdued jewellery and neutral perfume.
- Have a printed copy of your CV.
- Have a pen & paper.
- Prepare questions you wish to ask the interviewer and write them in a notebook. It’s perfectly fine to use it during the interview.
- Be prepared to demonstrate your skills, in case you’ll be asked to do it on the spot.
