How to Handle a Job Interview
No matter how many times you have interviewed for a job, the next interview always causes some trepidation. Such an event is really a "sales pitch," the product is yourself, and you may almost feel as if you are on trial as the interviewer "cross-examines" you about your suitability for the job.
Preparation is the name of the game here, and the tips that follow should help make interviewing a worthwhile experience for you.
- Remember to do your homework. Gathering information about a potential employer is essential in preparing for a successful job interview. Find out all that you can about the company's image, history, and plans for the future in order to make the experience more effective and interactive. Visit the organization's website on the Internet, and do some other research online as well.
- Rehearse for your interview as if it were a dress rehearsal. Prepare relevant questions, practice with a family member or friend, and videotape or record the session. When you replay the mock interview, you can evaluate your performance and fine-tune your responses so that the real thing will be truly effective.
- Be on time for your appointment and dress appropriately. Arrive 10 or 15 minutes ahead of time, bring a list of your references and extra copies of your resume, and try to establish rapport with the interviewer, especially by making eye contact.
- As the interview progresses, make every effort to remain calm, and ask for clarification, if and when you need it, in order to determine if you really want the job. Also, do not respond so hastily to the interviewer's questions that your answers seem incomplete or not well thought out.
- At the end, reaffirm your interest in the job, thank the interviewer for seeing you, and follow up later with a personal note to restate both sentiments.
Be ready for some behavioral interviewing
This method of interviewing is based on the idea that the best indicator of job candidates' future performance is what they have done in the past, and it has now become quite common. If you ever find yourself in this situation, you must be prepared to give detailed responses, including specific examples taken from your on-the-job experience.
As you compile sample questions and responses in order to prepare, take the time to list your values, skills, and interests, along with your strengths and weaknesses.
No matter how many times you have interviewed for a job, the next interview always causes some trepidation. Such an event is really a "sales pitch," the product is yourself, and you may almost feel as if you are on trial as the interviewer "cross-examines" you about your suitability for the job.
Preparation is the name of the game here, and the tips that follow should help make interviewing a worthwhile experience for you.
- Remember to do your homework. Gathering information about a potential employer is essential in preparing for a successful job interview. Find out all that you can about the company's image, history, and plans for the future in order to make the experience more effective and interactive. Visit the organization's website on the Internet, and do some other research online as well.
- Rehearse for your interview as if it were a dress rehearsal. Prepare relevant questions, practice with a family member or friend, and videotape or record the session. When you replay the mock interview, you can evaluate your performance and fine-tune your responses so that the real thing will be truly effective.
- Be on time for your appointment and dress appropriately. Arrive 10 or 15 minutes ahead of time, bring a list of your references and extra copies of your resume, and try to establish rapport with the interviewer, especially by making eye contact.
- As the interview progresses, make every effort to remain calm, and ask for clarification, if and when you need it, in order to determine if you really want the job. Also, do not respond so hastily to the interviewer's questions that your answers seem incomplete or not well thought out.
- At the end, reaffirm your interest in the job, thank the interviewer for seeing you, and follow up later with a personal note to restate both sentiments.
Be ready for some behavioral interviewing
This method of interviewing is based on the idea that the best indicator of job candidates' future performance is what they have done in the past, and it has now become quite common. If you ever find yourself in this situation, you must be prepared to give detailed responses, including specific examples taken from your on-the-job experience.
As you compile sample questions and responses in order to prepare, take the time to list your values, skills, and interests, along with your strengths and weaknesses.
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