So you decided that a career in hospitality is the right choice, send out tons of applications, and finally made it to the interview. How can you best prepare yourself for the interview and what’s important?

I have been sitting on both sides of the table many times, and tried to learn from my mistakes a long the way. Recruiting new employees is one of the most important things you can do, as the right person can change the culture in your department, and support you in leading in the right direction. Hiring the wrong person on the other hand, can turn out to be very very costly, and it can be very difficult to tell from only meeting a person for a couple of minutes during the interview.

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So how can you prepare yourself for the interview to communicate that you’re the right person for the job?

1. It goes without saying, but yes you need to learn about the company, it’s culture and mission statement, and what your position will require from you. Try to get us much information beforehand, not to impress during the interview with your knowledge about the company, but to truly understand what your new job and employer are all about, and if it’s the right job for you.
2. Tell your story! Being good at interviews is easy to learn, and interviewing someone who is very articulate and seems to be saying all the right things is not necessarily a good hire. It just means that this person probably went through a lot of interviews and learned the right things to say. Good interviewers know how to cut right through this, ask the right questions, and learn about you. Being able to tell your story about your past jobs, what you accomplished during your last assignments, what experiences you gained from your mistakes and achievements, is much more valuable, as it draws a picture of who you really are.
3. Being nervous is good, as it tells you that you truly care about this job, and even if it shows a little during the interview it’s ok, some people are good at interviews, and some are not. A good interviewer will be able to break the ice, make you feel comfortable, in order for you to open up and talk. I had interviewed people that were very nervous and turned out to be rockstars, and people who came across as rockstars, but did not bring anything valuable to table once in the position.
4. You probably heard this before, but asking questions is important. For one it shows that you are really interested in the job, but it also helps you to understand better what this company and your role are about – the interview goes both ways.
5. Be prepared for behavioral interviewing. Behavioral interviewing is a technique where the interviewer is asking you how you behaved in certain situations, and will ask you detailed follow up questions. I recommend that you don’t make up any stories, as it will show during the interview, but take the time to think and answer the questions once being asked.