here is a PM i sent to awesomerockets. bolding the important-est bits
I overprepared for a few past interviews prooobably but it all worked out in the end. With interviewing it depends on the job, but some general advice I would give is make eye contact (but don't stare them down uncomfortably), smile, and every one I've had did a handshake. Try to be firm but not TOO firm because then you seem cocky. It seems like they look for confident people with a good personality so try to sell yourself. If you don't have experience, you can give an example of how you could learn fast, that is relevant to the job. Also for the dress code, sometimes they just have you dress for the job. I'd always suggest dressing a little bit fancier, but not overly formal. Business casual has always been fine in my experience. I also always had a leather binder / notepad to put my resume in. They're not the cheapest but you can get them at an office store.
Some common questions I have been asked and what I have found to be good answers are...
Why should we hire you over someone else? I have always said because my schedule is flexible and I am always predictably at work on time. Even if your schedule isn't super flexible you can stretch the truth here, I always have. The rest varies on what job you are interviewing for.
What is your greatest strength? Sometimes they ask for a few of these. Obviously this is going to be tailored to yourself, but some examples could be patient, able to learn by doing, calm under pressure, driven, empathetic, honest, etc. Sometimes EVERYONE says certain things, like calling themselves a fast learner, so try to back that up with an example if you use that.
What is your greatest weakness? These are tricky, but you can spin them into positives. Just try to not be too obvious about it. An example would be that you are a perfectionist, but you have learned how to overcome this and get better. If you have no experience, you could mention that but also point out that makes you a clean slate to learn how to do things how that company wants them to be done. A third example could be that you are unwilling to take large risks, and your reasoning there could vary again by what you're interviewing for.
What do you know about this company? I've been asked this one a lot. Do some basic research on where you are interviewing so you aren't blindsided by this one. If I were to pick an example, I chose AMC theaters since you mentioned applying at a theater. A Google search showed me that they are headquartered really close to me and I actually didn't know that. You could say that they are the largest chain of theaters in the world and were founded in 1920, and maybe recall a personal fun time you had at one. Don't have to go super deep like knowing the CEO or whatever but you could if you really want I guess.
In addition to this, at the end they will ask you if you have any questions.
Always have several questions of your own to ask, since it makes you seem interested. Obviously the questions you will have will vary by job, and sometimes they are answered by the interviewer previously. I always have a few extra in case that happens. Some questions that will work for most would be...
What is an average day in this position like?
What is the schedule for this position?
Am I on a team, and if so, could I meet them?
What are the top qualities for candidates for this position?
Do you need references?
How would I be trained for this positon?
When would I be expected to start?
What is the next step of the hiring process?
That last question I'd recommend saving for last anyway, and it can really help ease your nerves afterwards since you'll have a better idea of what to expect. And
if it's a phone interview, treat it like you would an in-person interview. Smile while talking and if you'd like, dress like you would for an in person interview. I always dress up a little for those to put me in the interviewing mindset, but the job I got I just was in casual clothes for the phone interview so that's up to you.
I could probably continue if you like but I hope this helps
If you end up messing up BAD in an interview don't sweat it either. I had a string of interviews I did fine on but didn't get the job, so don't overthink how you did and don't take it personally. And
don't stop applying until you signed the onboarding paperwork and have a start date.