You’ve just received the good news: your resumé and cover letter impressed the hiring manager, and he or she is eager to meet you. Now that your writing skills have got your foot in the door, it’s time to demonstrate in-person why you’re the best candidate for the job.
 Here are eight tips that will ensure you “wow” the hiring manager and therefore walking away from an interview with a likely offer:

1. Research the Company
   Learn as much as you can about the business. Start by checking up on the company’s website and social media. Look into your network on anyone who currently works there or has in the past to speak about their experience.
   It would also be great to gain some external view such as by searching for recent press releases, investor briefsor industry news that can provide insight into the company’s place in the market.

2. Research the Product
   Whether you’re applying for a leadership or a junior post, you should have at least some knowledgeabout the company’s product or service offerings.

3. Research Your Interviewers
   Look up LinkedIn and other social media profiles of your interviewer. This will help you get a sense of the type of people who work and excel within the organization as well as establish any common interest to discuss in order build good rapport.

4. Q&A
   No matter an interviewer’s communication style or question set, he or she is ultimately seeking to understand who you are, how you work, and what value you can bring to the role and organisation.
   Once you’ve cleared the “tell me about yourself” hurdle with your elevator pitch, it’s important to anticipate and prepare for other commonly asked interview questions so you’re not caught off-guard. These might include:

   • “Why are you looking to leave?”
   • “Why would you like to join us?”
   • “ What could you bring to us?”
   • “What are your plans/ aspirations”
   • “What’s your biggest weakness?”
   • “Describe a challenge you faced at work, and how you handled it.”

While you don’t want to come off as scripted, practicing these responses will ensure you sound articulate and polished.

5. Insightful Questions to ask back
   Ideally, an interview should feel more like a dialogue than an interrogation. Based on your research, formulate questions specific to the individual(s) you’ll be meeting with. By doing this, you let them know you’ve done your homework and want to understand how you might best work together.
   Ask insightful questions that can’t be answered with a simple Google search. Take this as an opportunity to show the insight you can bring to the role and that you’re already thinking about how you can add value.
   Some of the best questions to ask at the end of an interview include:
   • “How would you describe the ideal candidate for this position?”
   • “What will success look like in this role?”
   • “What are the current goals/challenges of this company?”
   • “How would you describe the company culture?”

6. Formulate a Game Plan on the day
   In the days before your interview, make a game plan for the big day. Here are a few things to get ready in advance:
   • What to Wear
   • What to Bring
   • How to Get There

7. Keep calm and play cool
   As you’ve made it to the interview, you’ve done the hard part in standing out from your peers in the application process. Hiring manager see potential in you and they would rather this interview leads to a successful hire than not.

Now it’s time to give him/her reasons to say “yes!” As you walk into your interview, don’t be afraid to smile or let your personality shine through. And remember, an interview that ends with a job offer is not the result of being lucky, but of being prepared—which thanks to the tips above, you are.