Things You'll Need:
- Job Interview
- Resume
- Business Suit
- People skills
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Step 1
In order to have a successful interview, it is necessary to refine your professional job interview skills. The first critical skill to master is learning how to research your potential employer. Before you even get to the interview, it is important to understand as much about this employer as possible. Go online and find out the answers to the following questions:
-Have they had any recent press releases? What were they about?
-What products/services do they offer? How do these differ from competitors?
-What is their "claim to fame" or specialty?
-How has their business been doing recently?
Understanding the situation the company is currently in (good or bad) and the products/services they offer will help you appear well informed during your job interview. -
Step 2
With a solid understanding of what the the company is about, the next job interview skill to master is fielding questions they may ask you. These range from prior job experience questions to questions about your personality and work ethic. Do a search on Google for typical job interview questions and have someone you know ask you these. Don't memorize answers, but have a general idea of what you want to talk about.
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Step 3
The employer will use your resume as a template for asking you questions in the job interview. Go through resume line by line and think about talking points for each sentence. What potential questions might each sentence of your resume raise in your interviewer's mind? Be prepared to answer all of these questions.
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Step 4
Another critical job interview skill is being able to control your anxiety and nervousness. Often, it can help to remember that an interview is a two sided affair and that you are also interviewing the company to see if they are a match for you. Try to put yourself in this mindset rather than the mindset of you being grilled during the interviewed. Additionally, remind yourself that the worst that can happen is that the interview may not go well and you won't get the position.
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Step 5
Finally, develop a list of specific questions for the employer that you wish to ask them. At nearly every job interview they will ask the candidate what questions they have for them. While this is an opportunity for the candidate to learn about the employer which is important, it also shows if the candidate has done their homework. Asking questions that demonstrate an understanding of the company's products or services shows that the candidate is truly interested and has researched the company. Do not underestimate the value of this job interview skill as it can help set you apart from the rest of the pack.
