Securing a job interview can be as exciting as landing the job! Are you prepared? If you haven’t had a bad job interview you’ve heard from someone else who has. There is no guarantee that nothing will go wrong; accidents happen, personalities differ and expectations could be dashed on either side of the table. The best way to increase your chances for success in any job interview is simply to be prepared.
Some research was needed to compose a personalized cover letter to accompany your resume which got you the job interview but if you intend to ace the interview and land the available position you’ll need to investigate further. Confidence is an extremely positive influence in any job interview and nothing fuels it better than knowledge. How much do you know about the company, the interviewer, current and past employees? Is the position newly created or will you be filling a position previously held? Was the previous employee promoted or did they resign from the position? How does your experience and education compare to theirs?
Don’t leave anything to chance and pay attention to every detail; time, location, appearance, rehearsed answers and prepared questions. This is not the time to “wing it”! Above all, listen carefully to ensure you provide the appropriate answers. If you do not fully comprehend the question do not guess at an answer. Rather than simply stating you didn’t understand what they were asking for, try rephrasing the question back to the interviewer to obtain a clear understanding.
Amy Levin-Epstein provides some excellent job interview tips in 5 Things You Should Never Say in a Job Interview, CBS MoneyWatch.com.