Before you have an interview, whether virtual or in person, it is helpful to understand the mindset of your interviewer so you can prepare accordingly. The most important thing to remember when on an interview is that you were brought in because someone on the hiring team thinks you might be the right fit for the job. Their goal is to fill a position, so they are not looking for reasons to not hire someone. In fact, they are hoping to find the right fit!

Here are four things Fast Company suggests to get in the mindset of an interviewer:

1. Help the Interviewer Justify Hiring You – During the interview process, you want to focus on your strengths in order to help the interviewer make the argument for why you should be hired among other candidates. This is your time to explain why you are an ideal candidate for the job, so while you may be thinking about your cancer history and the appointments you have coming up, use this opportunity to sell yourself as a savvy job candidate as that is what the interviewer is most interested in. Your goal is to help answer the overlying question 'why are you the right for this job?'
2. Be Engaging – Interviewers want to know what you are like as a person and how well you will get along with their team. Show interest in the interviewer and company by doing your research ahead of time, asking thoughtful questions, showing personality, smiling, and answering the questions thoughtfully.
3. Demonstrate Vulnerability and Willingness to Learn – You may be asked questions you cannot answer as sometimes things are learned on the job. These types of questions provide a good opportunity to demonstrate your willingness to reveal the limits of your knowledge, and then pivot the conversation to the skills you do have. Try to engage the interviewer in a discussion with the opportunity for them to teach you something. This shows you are confident and will make the interviewer more confident that you are willing to be taught new things.
4. Show Adaptability – Show that despite having experience, you are interested in the way the prospective company does things and will not be resistant to the unfamiliar. Ask questions about how systems work, how employees are trained, programs are evaluated, etc. This will help illustrate that you want to become a part of their team.

For more tips on interviewing, click here. You may also be interested in downloading or ordering a free copy of our Job Search Toolkit (available in English and Spanish).