Congratulations on securing your initial interview! At Odyseek, we're here to ensure you make a lasting impression. With our innovative Interview Prep tool, we’re the Career AI with a Human Eye™. We aim to boost your confidence and fine-tune your approach in order to crush it at your upcoming job interview. Whether it's your first job interview or an early career milestone, our tool, coupled with expert interview tips, provides comprehensive guidance to help you excel.

In this interview guide, we've distilled insights from thousands of hiring managers and recruiters into top strategies that will not only prepare you for your initial interview but also empower you to excel in subsequent discussions. From mastering your resume to perfecting your follow-up, Odyseek's Interview Prep Tool and these tips are your ticket to interview success. Let's dive into how you can navigate your first interview with confidence and professionalism, ensuring you leave a memorable and positive impression.

1. Research to prepare

Our first advice to prepare for the 1st interview is to go to Odyseek and try out our free Interview Prep tool where we will do this for you. But if you want to go about it on your own make sure to do these things:

1. Go to their website: understand their values, mission & know the leadership team

2. Expand your research: use sources (e.g. Google, Crunchbase) for latest news & financials/earnings

3. Get social: go to the company’s social accounts to understand their culture, find customer reviews

4. Leverage your network: seek referrals that work at the company or a contact that knows the hiring manager or recruiter.

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2. Know your resume by heart

Remember every part of your resume is fair game. Be ready to talk about anything featured. Have some examples handy not included on your resume that support your skills.

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3. Be Punctual

Be on time and don’t be late, arrive 10-15 minutes early. This also applies to virtual interviews.

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4. Look & act the part

Dress appropriately. Ask the recruiter for guidance. For example, some startups prefer that candidates wear casual attire. Also ask for virtual interviews too! Be confident, use eye contact, mirror the interviewer’s body language.

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5. Standout with handouts

For in person interviews, make sure you have extra copies of your resume or elements of your Odyseek brag book such as example work projects.

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6. Present or screen share your Odyseek as your live brag book

Leverage your Odyseek skills portfolio! Navigate to relevant projects or achievements; show the proof.

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7. Be concise, avoid rambling

Eliminate rambling by answering in the Power of 3's, such as narrowing down your response to your top 3 skills (and how they best match the role), or 3 winning outcomes of a project etc.

Pro interview tip: For situational questions, structure your responses using the STAR method:

(S)ituation: Describe The Situation Or Problem

(T)ask: Explain The Task You Were Given

(A)ction: Define The Action You Took

(R)esult: Celebrate The Results, use numbers of impact!

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8. Be curious

Ask clarifying questions when something is unclear. When an interviewer asks at the end if you have any questions, never say you don’t have any questions! Thoughtful questions show you're engaged and prove your value. Be prepared with at least 5 questions. Check out our blog post for questions that impress.

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9. Be authentic, be yourself

Be honest and positive, but don’t lie or exaggerate. Most importantly, be yourself.

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10. Follow up promptly with a 'thank you'

Exude gratitude during your interview. Also, make sure to send personalized thank you emails to each interviewer, we’ll show you how to craft the perfect thank you. Don’t worry we’ve got you covered here as well, check out our AI powered Thank You Letter tool that will help you write the perfect follow up interview thank you email.

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When all else fails, remember to brag boldly

Use this simple approach:

Be & believe in yourself

Reveal your top 3 strengths

Achievements with numbers

Ground yourself in gratitude

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Maximize Your Interview Success with Odyseek's Interview Prep Tool:

Our AI-driven tool is designed to tailor your preparation for each specific interview. It offers personalized advice, example answers, and strategic insights to tackle questions well. Our Interview Prep tool provides examples of common interview questions and offers good advice on how to answer them. Odyseek’s tool ensures that you are fully prepared to impress and engage meaningfully during your initial interviews.

By integrating these strategies, supported by our innovative tool, you’re setting the stage for success in your job interview and beyond. Let Odyseek be your partner in navigating the exciting world of career interviews, helping you turn challenges into opportunities to shine.

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