How to prepare for an annual interview ?

You will probably have to prepare for an annual interview at some point. Whether you are familiar with the exercise or a complete beginner, check out our advice to ace your annual interview and, if needed, your salary negotiation. What do you need to prepare? Alumni tells you everything you need to know about annual interviews.

What is the purpose of annual interviews?

 This interview takes place once a year with your manager. Its purpose is to serve 3 primary objectives: talk about your results, your state of mind in the company and your work relations, as well as discuss your objectives and what you might want for the year to come.

To be sure that your interview is constructive, you need to prepare it well beforehand. Most companies offer a list of question to fill before the interview, so do not hesitate and take your time to fill it right.

The importance of reviewing the situation

Before attending your annual interview, it is important for you to review your professional situation. Since when did you start this job? What are your main, and daily tasks? Do you wish to obtain new responsibilities?

Listing all of your skills is also a crucial step to prepare your annual interview. List your hard skills (technical assets, as your expertise level on a software, for instance), but also your soft skills, as your “know-how-to-be” in your daily professional life.

Did you reach your goals?

To be as prepared as possible for your annual interview, review the objectives you had for the past year. Did you reach them, or even go further? If not, why? Take conclusions and list your main achievements, whether they are numbered or not. A well-known difficult client think you did a great job? Talk about it!

Review your future expectations

You wish to grow professionally, or try new tasks? It is the perfect moment to talk about it, and prepare your speech. Do some research on formations that can be useful for your career evolution, and ask your manager about them. The annual interview is a good opportunity for management to plan employees’ formations.

Prepare your questions beforehand

The annual interview is a privileged moment to discuss with your manager. Take advantage of this opportunity to talk about the subjects that matter to you. Whether it is your work organization, your schedule, information about the companies’ global strategy, this interview is the perfect moment to discuss and share information.

Take advantage of the interview to negotiate

It is often said that the annual interview is not the right moment to negotiate your salary, but it still is a privileged moment when you can discuss any subject. It may be the right time to negotiate a raise or a bonus with your manager, based on your very own results.