Everyone has an irrational fear. Be it a fear of spiders, a fear of flying, or even a fear of the word “moist”; everyone has a phobia which can not be logically explained. There are some fears however, that can be seen a being wholly rational. One such fear is a fear of: the job interview.

Due to the pressure of needing a job to provide yourself with a better life, and then walking into an interview and being asked “If you were a box of cereal, what would you be and why?”; job interviews have become the most stressful professional conversations imaginable.

To help you prepare for an interview and overcome this rational fear, I have compiled a list of things that an interviewer looks for in an interviewee.

Someone who understands the job they are interviewing for

to your job interview, the job description should not leave your side. The job description is a key source of information regarding the job you are interviewing for. Before you go to your interview, learn as much of it as you can off by heart. Throughout your interview, relate the answers you give back to the job description. This will show the interviewer that you are extremely interested in the job, and that you have a strong understanding of what the work will entail.

Someone who knows about the company

Employers are looking for someone who has an interest in the work that their company is doing. Ensure that you thoroughly research the company that you are applying for a job at.

Go on their website, and read up on what work they do, so that you are able to relay this information in a coherent manner during your interview.

Someone with necessary experience and skill set

If you have got an interview, it is more than likely that you showed that you have the level of experience and the skill set that the employer is looking for.

However, you need to be able vocalise this experience and your skill set during your interview. Ensure that you fully detail your relatable experience, and relate the skills that you have developed to the job you are interviewing for.

Someone with initiative

Interviewers undoubtedly look for someone initiative and the characteristics of an intrapreneur.

If you have achieved success through your own hard work and self-motivation in the past, let the interviewer know this during the interview.

Someone who asks questions

When the interviewer asks you if you have any questions about the job or the company: ask one. During your research of the company and while you memorise the job description, write down a few questions that you could potentially ask at the end of the interview. Asking questions will show the interviewer that you have a genuine interest in the job, and work the company is doing.  

This post has been contributed by Ryan Gatt, it may contain affiliate links.