Interview Tips

You have an interview in a few days. The thought of sitting at a desk and being asked personal and professional questions makes your mouth dry and your stomach churn.

The following tips for a successful interview are being offered by business men and women who want you to succeed the first time.

• Arrive on time!
• Don’t talk a lot.
• Pace yourself, match your demeanor with that of your interviewer.
• Do not chew gum.
• Do not tap your feet, fiddle with a pen, or otherwise show your nerves.
• Do not take any beverage being offered (hard to juggle the papers, the drink and everything else.
• Keep your hand gestures to a minimum.
• Make eye contact at all times.
• Dress for success.
• Present yourself well-groomed and ready for anything.
• Research the company prior to the interview.
• Ask a lot of questions that are pertinent.
• Show avid interest.
• Get a good night’s sleep the night before. Nothing turns off a future employer more than someone who yawns during an interview.
• Don’t make excuses. If the interviewer picks up on your weaknesses, offer him an alternative positive way to view this trait.
• Don’t be soft-spoken. Speak with conviction.
• Be courteous to everyone you meet. Some job applicants are rude to fellow workers and this will get back to the interviewer, so be courteous to all.
• Create a balance during the interview. Don’t go in cocky and confident. Keep the humility factor close. There are hundreds of people who could be sitting in your chair at this moment.
• Smile from the first moment you walk into those front doors.
• Create a winning strategy and keep to it. Don’t become rattled.
• Be prepared for anything.
• Practice before a full-length mirror.
• Stay positive.
• Listen closely
• Don’t ask about the company’s perks. Wait until you are hired before venturing into that territory.
• Create a twenty-second pitch that will land you the job.
• Be organised

Above all, be yourself and relax. Have fun with the time spent with the interview, and go in with a list of questions about the company. These questions should in no manner pertain to benefits of working there, parking lot passes or lunch breaks. Instead, you should have done your homework and researched the company, become familiar with the long-term goals and plans of expansion, if any.

If you know ahead of time that the company wants to expand its reach in the market, be sure and mention if you are willing to travel, and how soon you could begin to travel.

Be positive and upbeat even when it comes to the subject of why you are leaving your current position and looking for another job opportunity. Tell the interviewer where you see yourself in ten years and be sure you situate yourself into the company you are currently interviewing for when you do.

Your cover letter and resume have already made a difference. They got you in the front door. Now it is up to you to show the interviewer that you should be given a key to that door. Who knows, maybe they will even present you with the key to the executive washroom.