3 Ways to Prepare for an Interview When You’re Running out of Time

The job search is a long and laborious process, but when things start happening, they seem to all

happen at once. In fact, sometimes interview invitations come out of the blue, and you are

expected to be ready to go in a couple of days.

So, how can you best prepare when you don’t have a week or two to practice before show time?

When there’s little to no time to get ready, focus on these three things.

1. Know Yourself

More specifically, know how to talk about you. Figure out what skills and experiences you want

to highlight in this particular interview and practice how to answer, “Tell me about yourself.”

Finally, consider which accomplishments make the most sense to bring up and craft stories

around them. Try to prepare at least four or five flexible stories to answer the standard

behavioral questions (here’s a great template) about conflict, teamwork, leadership, or failure.

RELATED: 3 Ways To Shine When Asked “Tell Me About Yourself”

2. Know the Company

In an ideal world, you would have followed the company’s IPO with enthusiasm, spoken to

several current employees, and been an avid user of the company’s product for months.

Realistically, you may have only heard of this company the day you saw the job posting.

Certainly do what you can to research the company and position, but as long as you can answer,

“Why do you want to work here?” with a response that shows you know something specific

about the company—you’ll be fine. (Hint: Try one of these ideas.) If you have more time, try to

come up with three or four reasons why you’re interested in this particular company and

position.

RELATED: The Ultimate Guide To Researching A Company Pre-Interview

3. Know the Pitch

Finally, know what you’re trying to sell. Consider why you’re a good fit for the organization and

how you can best illustrate that. Tell a story that shows how this position fits with your career

path, and connect the career trajectory for this position with the trajectory of your own long-

term plans.

Carefully combine what you know about yourself and what you know about the company. Your

goal is to clearly align what the organization needs with what you have to offer. This is your

greater objective for the entire interview.

Once you’ve done these three things, spend the rest of your time practicing answering

questions aloud. Some prep work and research is essential in preparing for an interview, but in

the end, nothing trumps plain practice. So, grab a friend or even sit in front of a mirror and start

practicing for whatever time you have left. Good luck!

This article was originally published on The Daily Muse.

Lily Zhang serves as a Career Development Specialist at MIT where she helps students reach their

career aspirations. Follow her musings @lzhng