Interviews - Job Interview Tips
The day has arrived - the all important interview. But maybe you're not sure how to job interview. What do you do at a job interview? Here's some job interview tips to get you through. First of all, I'm sure you know to dress in appropriate business attire. This generally means a suit for men (depending upon the occupation), and a suit (slacks or skirt) and blouse for women. Women should always wear hosiery for an interview as opposed to bear legs. Sensible shoes should be worn as you never know how much of a tour you're going to get. You should bring a briefcase, which has a folder in it containing five to ten copies of your resume. If you have reference letters, you can bring copies of them as well.
Here are some common job interview questions:
Job Interview Question 1:
Why should we hire you for this position?
Job Interview Question 2:
How are you qualified for this position?
Job Interview Question 3:
Why do you want to work for XYZ company?
Job Interview Question 4:
What do you know about XYZ company?
Job Interview Question 5:
What did you like about your last position?
Prior to the interview, you should have done internet searches on the company you are interviewing with as part of your job search strategy. By typing the company name into search engines, you can find all kinds of information about the company such as headquarters info, products or services, goals of the company, a list of the board of directors, news stories related to the company and industry, etc. You want to be well-informed when you go as job interviews can sometimes be nerve-wracking.
Arrive fifteen minutes early for the interview. This means, you should give yourself lots of extra time as you most likely won't be familiar with directions, parking, finding the office you need to, etc. You should walk in the door 15 minutes before the interview, introduce yourself to the assistant or receptionist, and use the restroom to freshen up and pull yourself together.
Attitude is most important in an interviewing situation. You must be confident in your demeanor. If you aren't sure you're the right person for the job, why would they be? They will pick up on it if you aren't sure. You need to go into an interview thinking this job is mine. Use a firm handshake (not too hard), smile a lot, have a positive attitude, and be friendly. In addition to being the most qualified, you also want to be someone that the people at the company would enjoy working with. Don't be too serious, but don't be too jovial. You need to have a good balance for a good job interview.
Stay calm - if you're asked a question you aren't sure how to answer, give yourself a moment to think about it. Don't panic - this isn't life and death. No one I know likes job interviews. Just give the best answer you can come up with in a calm, confident manner and leave it at that. That's the best you can do. When you leave, thank them for their time, tour, etc. Say it was nice to meet them, and express your interest in the position.
After the interview, send a thank you note to whomever interviewed you. Again, say how much you enjoyed meeting them, thank them for showing you around and introducing them to staff members, and again express your interest in the position. You can say something to the effect that "After spending time with you the other day and learning more about the position, I'm very interested in working for (the company name). This note will show you're a polite person, thoughtful, prompt, and someone who pays attention to detail. That just may make the difference.