Don’t “Leeroy Jenkins” your interview.

If you don’t know who Leeroy is, he is a World of Warcraft character that is known for abruptly running into battle while the rest of his group was attempting to formulate a plan. Leeroy experienced game-time fatigue. Heed this warning. If you are investing time and energy into a job search, do yourself a favor and thoroughly prepare for your interview. Even if they are recruiting you hard and you aren’t even sure that you want the job, you shouldn’t “wing” an interview.

I’ve heard job seekers say, “I didn’t take it seriously enough. I went in thinking I didn’t want the job but wanted to practice interviewing. Once I got there, I learned more about the company and other roles in the department and wished I had done a better job selling myself”. **You don’t need to “practice” interviewing at a real interview. **

If you want to put the best version of yourself forward for the interview:

► Spend time researching company’s culture, mission, leadership, recent news, products and services.

► Know who you are interviewing with. Leverage your network for insight.

► Know how to answer most asked questions.

► Study STAR method.

► Practice. Do a real mock interview.