How to Prepare for a Final Interview
If you do well on your job interview, your reward may be another interview. Being asked to come in for a final job interview is good news as this means you did well enough in your earlier interviews and are considered as a front runner. This does not mean that the job is guaranteed, or that you're the only person the company is looking at. To go from final interview to new employee, you should prepare even harder than you did for the original interview.
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Instructions
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Review your previous interview. You obviously did well enough that the company wants to learn more, but that doesn't mean you were perfect, advises career coach Katharine Hansen. Go over any questions or topics that you had trouble answering previously to ensure that you're ready this time.
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Ask your company contact what sort of interview to expect. The final interview could be a panel meeting with your prospective co-workers or several executives; it could be a business dinner with the decision makers; a tour of the workplace, possibly including several interviews; or a one-on-one meeting with whoever has the power to offer you a job.
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Make preparations based on what you learn. If you find out the names of the people who'll be interviewing you, research their jobs, their history with the company and anything else you can discover. If you're meeting with representatives of different departments, understand the functions of each one and how you would interact with each one.
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Rehearse your answers for the final interview. Final interviews, Tara Weiss says in "Forbes," dig deeper than the first: The interviewers will ask more detailed questions about your skills and experience, and they'll want more proof that you can be a corporate asset. Offer multiple examples of your past accomplishments -- you don't want to repeat the same story in each interview -- and practice until you can recount them without long, awkward pauses.
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Make sure that your personal presentation is as professional as your answers. If a business lunch or other social event is part of the interview, brush up on your dining etiquette and be ready to make small talk during the meal. Dress professionally. Plan to arrive 10 to 15 minutes early, and allow extra time for traffic, roadwork and other delays. If the meeting is somewhere you haven't been before, find the best way of getting there. Take a practice drive before the day of your interview to find out is location, in necessary.
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Draw up a list of questions about the company you'd like answered. Even if you fit the company, it's important that the company also fits you. Asking questions also shows interviewers that you're interested in the job. Try to get a feel for the company's corporate culture, and whether it's one that you'd be happy with.
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Tips & Warnings
While this is the final interview for you, it will probably be your first encounter with some of the individuals involved. Put just as much effort into making a good first impression as you did on the original interview.
