How to Impress at a Job Interview

So, your resume was impressive enough to get you that job interview. You’re sure that you’re the right person for the job, but then you hear, “Don’t call us, we’ll call you.” What went wrong? Job interviews can be intimidating and frustrating, especially after you’ve been through a few and still find yourself jobless. Just follow these simple tips to learn how to impress at a job interview.

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Confidence
• Research on the company
• A professional outfit

1. Exude confidence. Stand up straight. Make eye contact. Offer a firm handshake. These simple steps can show the interviewer that you feel confident in your ability to handle the job and yourself.

2. Make small talk. Ask the interviewer how they’re doing or mention the weather. Small talk is a great way to break the ice and give the two of you a moment to relax before the real questions begin.

3. Do your homework. Almost every company has a website, so find out everything you can about the company. You can also do a search for their company on the Internet and find out what consumers and competitors have to say. Come prepared to use terms that are common for that industry.

4. Look your best. Even if you are completely broke, you need to look as though you already have money. Wear your nicest clothes that you have, cleaned and freshly ironed that day. Brush your hair, and make sure your hands and nails are clean. Make sure your breath is fresh and keep your perfume or cologne to a minimum.

5. Be honest. Most interviewers know when a person is lying to them and will make a mental check to not hire you. Even if you get away with the lie in the initial interview, you will eventually be caught in the lie in the future, which would be even more embarrassing.

6. Emphasize your strengths. One of the most common questions asked during an interview is to list your strengths and weaknesses. Obviously, you want to talk more about your strengths. However, you can really impress an interviewer if you show them how you can be strong despite your weaknesses. Show them how you’ve learned from your weaknesses.

Tips & Warnings

• Demonstrate your knowledge.
• Be friendly.
• Prepare questions to ask ahead of time.
• Don't slouch during the interview.
• Don't talk over the interviewer.
• Don't chew gum during the interview.

Resources

• Job Interview Questions
• Job Interview Tips

[Life-is-sweet]

on 5/17/2009 I have an interview tomorrow, this is great, thank you.

[xtraordinary]

on 4/4/2009 Great resource - very well-written article! 5 stars!