How to Succeed When Interviewing for Your Dream Job: Advice From Business Superstars (2023)

An upcoming job interview for a position you are interested in is enough to induce mild anxiety. After all, having your professional and personal qualities evaluated by an unfamiliar party is not your everyday activity. What can you do to succeed when interviewing for your dream job?

Author Travis Bradberry offered one suggestion, “Get to know the job intimately that you’re applying for. Don’t just read the job description — study it and picture yourself performing every task required of you. When you interview, framing your responses so that you reveal your significant knowledge about the job gives you a massive advantage.”

Of course, you can use many other strategies for success when interviewing for your dream job. To help you uncover more of these, below you will find applicable advice from a variety of business superstars.

Ask Your Own Questions

Some say a successful job interview is one that’s remembered by the person conducting it. If so, you should do everything you can to give those interviewing you positive, lasting memories of your interview. Asking questions of your own is a surefire way to make this happen.

“At this point, nearly every job interview will have space for questions from the interviewee,” says Dan Potter, Head of Digital at CRAFTD. “But many candidates willingly say no and hurt their chances of receiving an offer. Instead, ask your interviewer genuine questions to learn more about the role and whether it’s a good fit for what you want.”

The anxiety that comes with a big-time job interview may prevent you from conjuring up a great question on the spot. That’s why you should be proactive in preparing for the interview and ensure you come up with a list of questions you want to be answered.

Know What You Are Getting Into

Twenty years ago, a job interview was vastly different than it is today. How many different interview formats are out there now? Between video, phone, in-person, and group interviews, there is no shortage of format options. Each one of these is unique. To give yourself the best chance at succeeding, learn what you can about the type of interview you’ll be undergoing.

“Some companies want their job interview process to be totally remote, especially if they have hybrid or remote roles,” says Soji James, Lead Expert Certified personal trainer at 1AND1. “Come prepared knowing what platform you’ll be interviewing on to ensure everything runs smoothly.”

Your interview format will likely be detailed in the advertisement for the position or in communications from the company. Failing to double-check whether your interview is remote or in person could lead to an awkward moment or two.

Be Firm About Salary Expectations

Speaking of awkwardness, the topic of financial compensation also has the potential for some less-than-comfortable moments. However, you have certain financial needs which must be met. Not only that, your skills are valuable and should be compensated accordingly. For that reason, don’t shy away from voicing your salary expectations.

“Confidence is a winning ingredient in any job interview,” says Derek Flanzraich, Founder and CEO of Ness. “Especially when it comes to the discussion of salary — employers want to see that potential employees are direct and confident in what they bring to the table.”

Be Ready With Personal Examples

At most interviews, you’ll be asked about your relevant experience. Employers want proof that the person they’re interviewing can tackle every aspect of a job. As the interviewee, you can nail this portion of the interview by providing real-life instances of your own relevant experience.

“The bullet points of a resume can only provide so much information,” says Christy Pyrz, Chief Marketing Officer of Paradigm Peptides. “As you prepare for an interview, look over what’s on your resume and develop practical examples to demonstrate what your personal experience really looks like.”

Before your interview, consider how you can relate past roles to the position you’re interviewing for. Your past job may not fall in the same industry as your dream job, but a little creativity on your end can help bridge this gap.

Bring a Copy or Two of Your Resume

This idea may sound antiquated due to how widespread digital technology is, so why bring paper to a highly digital space?

“A job interview is like a test in school — you must perform well to receive a passing grade,” says Kim Walls, CEO and Co-Founder of Furtuna Skin. “Bringing a few copies of your resume is like extra credit and shows the person in charge that you’ve prepared.”

A hard copy of your resume will ensure that your interviewer actually looks at the document, which may not always be the case otherwise. Even if you don’t have a printer of your own, turn to your local library or printing shop for help. The extra effort will pay dividends.

Practice, Practice, Practice

Just as with a sport or a creative skill, repeated practice of something will improve your prowess at it. A job interview is no different. Set aside time in the week leading up to the interview to practice responses to generic interview questions or talk about your professional life.

“A job interview is an environment all its own, and you really can’t recreate it outside the office,” says Dr. Michael Green, Chief Medical Officer of Winona. “But, as the subject of the interview, you can get better at describing your skills verbally or working on body language in front of the mirror.”

The mirror is a wonderful place to evaluate your demeanor, facial expressions, and hand gestures while speaking. You could also ask a family member or friend to act as a mock interviewer and give you feedback on your responses.

Dress Appropriately

What is the first thing you notice about other people? Usually, it’s their physical appearance, and as much as you may not want to, you likely form some expectations about a person based on the way they’re dressed. This is true in a job interview as well.

“Some job interviews will have a clear dress code in place,” says Cody Candee, Founder and CEO of Bounce Luggage Storage. “There are others where this isn’t the case. Either way, it is your responsibility to be dressed appropriately if you want true consideration.”

Center Yourself Before the Interview

A job interview can be emotional and stressful, especially if you really want the role. That’s why it’s worth taking some time to calm down and de-stress beforehand.

“Centering yourself in the face of something as large as a dream job interview is anything but easy,” says Max Ade, CEO of Pickleheads. “But it should be something to work towards because a distracted mind or body can derail your interview faster than you realize.”

Some might refer to this process as practicing mindfulness, and it works differently for everyone. Some do well with breathing exercises. Others do well with mental visualization. You might even listen to a pump-up song before you walk in the door. Don’t be afraid to use different methods to see what suits you.

Information Is Everything

Imagine a world where you run your own company and are in search of a new hire. You come across two applicants you decide to bring in for interviews. One greets you by name and mentions their awareness of your more-recent business moves. The other asks simple questions about what your company does and who you are. After such interactions, the choice of who to hire should be obvious.

“When an interviewee demonstrates they are aware of the ins and outs of the company they are speaking with, it’s like a giant green light for the employer,” says Joshua Host, CEO of Thrivelab. “Companies want people who already know and are invested in their plans.”

Conversations with current employees (or former) of the company as well as some basic perusing of the company’s website and employee LinkedIn pages, will set you apart from the competition.

Be Early!

Time is money. Companies will not and do not wait around for a random applicant to show up to the office in search of a job. For them, it is a much more serious evaluation — if someone is late to the interview, they will likely be deemed unfit to work for the company.

“Some of the best professionals out there have lost career-making opportunities solely because they were late,” says John Berry, CEO and Managing Partner of Berry Law. “Don’t let yourself fall into this category when your dream job interview shows up — prepare and plan ahead of time.”

From traffic patterns to the moment you put your feet on the floor in the morning, you should consider many elements of the day so you’re not late.

Get Ready to Ace the Interview

There are several variables to account for if you want to succeed in your dream job interview, but don’t let this reality dissuade you from your aspirations. Instead, take to heart the words of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, “I knew that if I failed, I wouldn’t regret that, but I knew the one thing I might regret is not trying.”

McClatchy newsroom and editorial staff were not involved in the creation of this content.