3 Things to Know Before Your Next Job Interview

You can always find a lot of advice about job interviewing and preparing for a job interview. However, sometimes all that advice merely serves to make one more anxious about the process and feel slightly overwhelmed by it all.

In reality, though, if you know the following three things in advance of your next interview you will go in much better prepared than most of the other candidates.

1. Know the company. Do your homework and understand as much as you can about the company you are interviewing with. Who founded the company and when? What are its key values? What is the mission of the organization and what are some of the major challenges facing it? Know the answers to these questions and use them as you formulate your responses to interview questions.

2. Know the competition. Who are the major competitors to the company you're interviewing with and what are their strengths and weaknesses? Why are you choosing to interview with this company rather than with its competitors? How can the company your interviewing with better distinguish itself from its competitors? If you can answer some of these questions for yourself you will be in a good position in the interview to situate yourself as a knowledgeable asset to the company.

3. Know your strengths. Be sure to understand yourself well, and understand the skills and knowledge you bring to the company. By knowing your strengths, as well as having a deep knowledge of the company and its competitors, you will be able to clearly demonstrate and communicate your value to the company.

Focus on these three areas before your next interview and you'll enter the interview room with confidence.