How to Prepare for a Job Interview

Your finely tuned resume won you an interview. Unfortunately the interview is where many candidates undo what the resume did. Response to questions should reinforce what a potential employer sees as your potential, rather than question your personality and professionalism.

Research and preparation is key to staying competitive for that new job.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

1. Dress the part. You want to match the standard, or go up a level of dressiness, unless dress code is specified somewhere on the company website. If you know nothing of the office environment, wear at least business casual: men in ties and dress pants, women in dress pants/skirt with nice blouse. It doesn't hurt for both genders to carry a suit jacket.
   
   If you are working in manufacturing, food service, a school, or any industry with very casual dress, it is still best to dress nicer than the standard.
   
   If you really are not sure, search for an article about dressing for an interview.

2. Should not have to say it but in case you forget: Be freshly shaven, shower, wear deodorant, and pop a breath mint. You might be doing all the talking so you want good breath, but you do not want to be chewing gum during an interview.

3. Shake hands like you mean it. Put your hand out first, give a gentle squeeze then let go. Look the person in the eyes, and shake hands with anyone you meet who might sit in on part of your interview. If you offer a hand and it is refused, remove it quickly and move on.
   
   Weak handshakes are too common among women and depending on the interviewer, can leave an unsavory first impression. Practice on friends if you must, and make sure you shake like you mean it.

4. Bring a small bottle of water. Some interviews are over in 15 minutes, some take hours, and you don't always know which one you are stepping into. Avoid soda, coffee, and juice because they may affect your breath or cause you to belch.
   
   If you are offered something to drink before your interview starts, ask for water if you didn't bring any. Your interviewer is not a waitress, so water is an easy choice rather than asking them to list the options.

5. Prepare answers in advance to these fairly common questions: 1.Why do you want to work here? (what do you enjoy about this type of work; what do you find appealing about this company) 2.Where do you see yourself in 5 years? (the answer they want to hear is that you will still be working at this company, but maybe in another position, so throw them a few ideas of where your interests lie) 3.What is your biggest flaw/skill? (this is tricky question, but you want to mention a flaw that highlights a skill, like being a perfectionist, or preferring leading to following)**there are horror stories of wannabe bank-tellers saying their biggest flaw or the reason they were fired is for theft, don't give answers that disqualify you from employment.

6. Don't sweat the weird questions. There are bad interviews and there are bad interviewers. Sometimes they ask questions that are psychological in nature, but often they don't even understand the questions. Take a deep breath, explain that you need to think about the answer for a moment, and then give the best answer you can.

7. Smile and open, but not too open. A smile portrays enthusiasm and friendliness. These people do have to work with you so it wouldn't hurt to be friendly. However, don't get into personal details, like recent surgeries, your child's bed-wetting, or your messy finances.
   
   'Too personal' is a grey area, so you must feel out your interviewer. One way to express your personality without revealing too much is to discuss your hobbies, particularly if your interviewer shares a common enthusiasm. Look around the office and see if there is anything to talk about (pictures of places you've been, a college you went to, etc.)

8. Your qualifications are important, but don't regurgitate your resume. Talk about the things you've done with focus on what fits this company, and go into detail about one or two accomplishments. If you have no work experience, discuss school or volunteer projects that taught you things you can apply to this job.

9. Don't smoke before an interview. Covering the smell with lotion/cologne/perfume/gum is just covering one smell with another. Consider wearing the patch or chewing nicotine gum. Smoking is becoming increasingly taboo and some people are aggressively opposed to the habit, which can cost you a job before you even start the interview.

10. Research the company ahead of time, write down questions you have and prepare to ask at least one of the interviewer. Reveal your knowledge of the company, then follow with a question. Examples: Since this company merged with another last year, are there intentions to change the business goals? Are there any plans to expand the types of materials packaged here? It is my understanding that you currently serve the south side of the city, is that going to grow in years to come?

11. Lots of articles tell you to send a thank you card to your interviewer. This depends on you and your field. I have conducted close to 50 interviews, and only recent college grads have sent me cards. Based only on my experience, it is a sign of inexperience and/or youth. This is entirely up to you.

Resources

• Write a Cover Letter
• Ace Job Interview Questions
• Edit your Resume