We've been sharing many wonderful tips on how to make your job search more effective through targeted resume writing. Probably 85% of all our blog posts are devoted to resume writing recommendations. This reflects the current tendency - job seekers spend so much time crafting their resumes that they forget that this type of document was is never meant to get them hired. While without a well-written resume you almost have no chances to get a job, the process never ends with sending this document to potential employers. In fact, any resume is meant to generate some interview opportunities. It is sad to mention that many of those who are invited for an interview assume they are practically hired (so wrong!). As a result, they never care to prepare for the meeting. Or do it an hour before they leave for the interview. If you still have several hours before the meeting, you might want to follow the tips listed below.
How to Outshine Your Competitors?
A good interview preparation can take days but if you've got several hours, you can still outshine your competition. The thing is that many job seekers don't prepare for job interviews at all. In that context, you can make a difference and show that you are really interested in the job by demonstrating some company knowledge. So if you have an interview meeting in 5 hours, you can still win this job. All you have to do is use your time wisely. First and foremost, you need to find out general information about the interview itself. Such things as whom you are going to be talking to, what to dress, how to get to the office location, etc. Just make sure you know everything about the meeting so that you know what to expect and how to prepare. Most likely, you can get this information by making one phone call to the prospective employer so this shouldn't take much time at all. 
Secondly, conduct basic company research. You need to know as much information about the company as your mind can comprehend. Considering that you've t got a few hours only, we recommend going to the company's website or simply look for company information through the Google search engine. Start with generic information, like the size of the company, its products and services. Then proceed with recent news like press releases or annual reports. It is absolutely crucial that you understand what the company is all about because that's what you should match. At least in the eyes of hiring authorities.
Thirdly, get to the job description and think of your three-four best accomplishments related to the job requirements. This one should be the most time-consuming stage of all. That is where you get to the core of what you want to be at the interview meeting. The best approach is to develop your achievement stories in the following format: context-problem-solution-result. Focus on quantifying the achievements to wow your interviewers (i.e. "increased sales by 42%" , "reduced expenses by 17% with no negative impact on the production process", etc). If you managed to overcome big challenges during your volunteering efforts, don't hesitate to mention them as well, especially if they related to the job requirements. Now that you know the general information about the meeting, the employer and how you can help the company achieve its goals, you can dress your interview outfit and head on to the new opportunities.
