How to ace your next interview

You might be looking for a summer job to make a little extra pocket money, or you might be in college looking for your first job in the 'real world'. You might even be an experienced professional looking to advance - There's one obstacle between you and that all-important next step in your career: the interview. That short time you spend with your potential employer can make or break your chances. Fortunately there are a few simple steps to keep in mind that will help you impress your interviewers and maximize your chance to land that job.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Things You’ll Need:

• A couple hours of research prior to the interview
• Positivity and confidence

1. First of all, land that interview - obviously you can't ace an interview that you haven't been invited to! In this article I will assume you already have one lined up and are just looking for a few pointers. Still, if you are in the market make sure you put yourself out there and use all your available channels: campus recruiting, family and friends, online job sites, individual company websites, etc. Make sure you stay informed and ready to talk about the industry and job you are interested in.
2. Know your value - In the grand scheme of things, your potential employer is in business to provide a service - always keep in mind what that service is! Make sure you understand where you would fit in that model, and be prepared to explain why you would do well in that position and add value to their business. For example, if you are applying to a sales assistant job at a music shop, your value would come primarily from your ability to convince customers to buy the product, feel confident about their purchase and be willing to come back for future business. You may have said that you are great at Excel in your resume, but while that may demonstrate your smarts, it just isn't really a relevant skill, so you don't want to spend too much time talking about it. You definitely want to bring up your garage band though, and demonstrate that way that you are knowledgeable about musical instruments and comfortable talking about them. The idea is that by knowing what the employer is looking for you know which of your strengths to emphasise.
3. Do your research - In the music shop example, what the employer looks for is pretty obvious. However in some cases it won't be as clear. That's why it is important to find out all you can about the position before you go into the interview. If you know someone who has a similar job, ask them about it. Go online and run a few searches. Read the company website. Anything that will help give you a better idea of what translates into value for the employer. For example, a lot of college grads interview for analyst positions at investment banking firms. It is easy for one to believe that the value they seek comes from knowing a lot about financial instruments and the stock market. The truth is these banks will never expect entry-level candidates to be investment gurus. They want someone who is an analytical thinker, who learns things quickly and who will be able to handle dealing with long hours and pressure situations. Of course being interested in what you will be doing is key, so it's a must to mention those finance classes and personal investments. But what people often miss is that the employers would also be really impressed by the story about that finals week when your garage band was playing three late-night gigs, and you almost didn't sleep for 5 straight days but you passed your tests with flying colors and still made a few bucks.
4. Look the part - I'm sure you've heard it before, but it bears repeating: Always project a professional image. It shows your interviewer that you are taking the opportunity seriously. The amount of time each interviewer has with you is so limited that they will always make assumptions and take clues about you from the image you project. So dress appropriately, make sure you shave, clean your nails, polish your shoes, smile a lot, be polite to everyone you meet etc. The idea is to make the best possible first impression.
   
   A good rule of thumb for how to dress is to be at least at the same dress code as the interviewer, but it's best if you are one or two steps more formal. To go back to our music shop sales position, if everyone you will meet is wearing ripped jeans and a t-shirt, it will be a little awkward if you show up in a suit and tie! But if you are interviewing at a place where the attire is business-casual and everyone wears slacks and dress shirts, a suit and tie is a great choice.
5. Be yourself - Anyone interviewing you is thinking that they are likely to spend a lot of time with you if they do decide to hire you. You should be thinking the same thing - you'll be spending a lot of time with them day in, day out. Needless to say, how well you get along will play a big part on their decision, and it will also give you a better sense of how well you'd fit in with your potential co-workers. So it's important that you give your interviewers a little glimpse of your personality. Make sure your interview goes beyond their technical questions and your prepared answers. Of course, you don't want to be too casual, make inappropriate jokes, use coarse language etc, but it's always ok to make a little time for a bit of informal conversation. It will make you seem personable, and they will see you as someone who can contribute to a friendly and team-oriented environment.
6. No need to lie - This is possibly the most important item in this list. There will always be a question you don't know the answer to, and you shouldn't be afraid to admit it. The people interviewing you have been doing the job for years and years, they know the ins and outs of what it takes to perform the task. But when they first started they probably didn't know all that much themselves, so they realize that the applicants most likely won't know all that much either. By asking those tough questions they gauge two things: how deep your knowledge of that particular skill you listed on your resume really goes, and how you react when you don't know an answer. If you can, try to creatively work around it by asking questions back and trying to show them how you would solve the problem a different way. If you're totally stuck, there is no shame in saying something like "Look, to be perfectly honest, I don't know. I have never worked with *green-haired-monster* before. How do you use this here?" You will come across as honest, aware of your weaknesses, and willing to learn and improve.
7. Go get 'em! - Go in confident, remember that just the fact they offered you an interview means they already think you are capable of doing the job. This is your time to show them that you can! Good luck!