How to do better in an interview

Great cover letter, check. Excellent resume, check. Think this is all you really need to getting the job you want? No!

You see, it's the interview that ultimately gets you that job! And that's why you need to "WOW" them. So here are some helpful tips to doing just this and increasing your chances of success!

Adopted from my upcoming book, "Think like an Interviewer: Your job-hunting guide to success."

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

1. **Don't memorize answers to questions**
   
   First, you may forget what you wanted to say and/or "mess it up" during the interview. Bullet points are much better! They will help you stay focused on your point, letting your words flow more naturally.

2. **Anticipate commonly asked questions**
   
   Don't be caught by surprise by a question that you should have expected! For instance, "Tell me about yourself." This is perhaps the most commonly asked question in any interview. And it's asked right at the very beginning of it, so you should have expected you would be asked this one. Others include: "Why do you want to work for us?" and "What salary do you want?".

3. **Don't get too cocky or arrogant**
   
   Lots of applicants will come into interviews with a super high degree of confidence, which may come across as being arrogant. Confidence is good, but cockiness is not! So be proud of yourself up to a point. In other words, show confidence mixed with some degree of humility. That way, you're confident and proud, but not overly so.

4. **Always ask the interviewer at a question**
   
   Here's a major mistake lots of applicants will make. When an interviewer asks if you have any questions for him or her, you'll say nothing "No, I don't have anything to ask." Big mistake! No interview can tell you every single thing you'll need to know about a particular job and company. So you must ask something, even if it's to reiterate or clarify something that was said earlier. Not asking a single question can be "the kiss of death."

5. **The Receptionist or person who greets you when you first walk in the door is your friend**
   
   Many applicants make a huge mistake by thinking the one who greets you when you walk into a company for an interview isn't overly important. Wrong! That person is the one who formed the very first impression of you. And first impressions are lasting ones, so it's got to be a good one. So always be nice to whomever this person happens to be.
   
   Hopefully, you've found this article to be of some use. Interviewing isn't easy no matter how many you've taken. But with the help of my advice, you chances of doing well will improve. And since there are no guarantees in life, improvement is the most anyone can hope to accomplish.
   
   I'd be happy in hearing about your success as a result of my article. So please leave a comment or recommend it to others. Thanks and good luck to you!

[msoexpert]

on 3/15/2008 Thanks! I'm so glad you found these tips helpful and beneficial.

[3tailer]

on 3/14/2008 Great tips!