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How To Nail That Job Interview
Interview Tips
By David Lion Rattiner
In this economy, getting the job that you want is going to be extra competitive and it is important to brush up on your interview skills. A job interview is your first impression with your employer, so you better do everything that you can to make that impression as good as it can be. Mastering the art of the job interview is not an easy thing to do since hopefully, you won’t have to go through too many job interviews in your professional career. There are some secrets to a job interview that can help put you in a position of getting the job over others.
CONNECT WITH THE INTERVIEWER
Just the fact that you got called into the interview means that your resume matches everybody else’s resume that is vying for the job. One of the best ways to differentiate yourself from the rest is to connect with whoever is interviewing you on a personal level. If you notice a golf trophy in the office you are interviewing, mention your love of golf. If you see a picture sports team on the wall, mention that you are a big fan. It doesn’t matter what it is, what does matter is that the interviewer likes you personally and connects with you on a personal level.
DRESS FOR SUCCESS
Get yourself a good suit for the interview and have it pressed and ready to go before you go on the interview. I don’t care what the job is for, wear a suit. If the company has a strict no suit policy, wear a suit. If you are applying for a job as a fisherman, wear a suit. Wearing a business suit lets your employer know that you are a serious person and that you care about getting the job.
TAKE YOURSELF VERY SERIOUSLY
Even if you aren’t a serious person and like to laugh and make jokes, take yourself as serious as you can possibly can at a job interview. Employers are not there to be entertained, so don’t take the advice on breaking the interview ice with a bar joke. Sit up straight, think before you speak and be serious. You can make room for one moment of laughter during the interview if you must, but do your best to keep everything about your skill set and what qualifies you best for the job.
NEVER ACT LIKE YOU ARE ABOVE THE JOB YOU ARE APPLYING FOR
Even if you have a medical license and are applying for a job as a cashier at CVS, don’t act like you are bigger and better then the job you are applying for. If you want to get the job that you are interviewing, acting like you can do the job with your eyes closed isn’t going to get you in the door. Employers take their work very seriously because it is their livelihood. If you think you are above the job you are applying for then you shouldn’t have taken the time out of you day to go to the interview in the first place.
LOOK DIRECTLY INTO THE EYES
Don’t look around the room when speaking at a job interview. Practice looking directly into the eyes of somebody while speaking with them before you go out on a job interview. Having direct eye contact will be noticed and increase your chances of landing the job you are applying for.
Published: Sep 9,2008 17:00
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Andy Cowan
Andy Cowan, an award-winning writer, whose credits include Cheers and Seinfeld, regularly contributes humor pieces to the Los Angeles Times and the CBS Jack FM Radio Network.
Paul M. J. Suchecki
Paul M. J. Suchecki has more than 30 years of experience as an award winning writer, producer, and cameraman. He's written numerous newspaper and magazine articles. Currently he writes, produces and shoots for LA CityView Channel 35 and his more than 250 articles for Ehow.com are approaching half a million readers.
Coby Kindles
Coby Kindles is a freelance journalist, screenplay writer and essayist. She has been a staff writer at Knight Ridder and a regular contributor to The Associated Press.
Debbie Milam
Debbie Milam is a syndicated columnist for United Press International, an occupational therapist, family success consultant, and motivational speaker with more than 20 years experience. Her work on stress management, spirituality, parenting, and special-needs children has been featured in over 300 media outlets including First for Women, The Miami Herald, Elle, Ladies Home Journal, The Hallmark Channel, PBS and WebMD.
Dan Rafter
Dan Rafter has covered the residential real estate industry for more than 15 years. He has contributed real estate stories to the Washington Post, Chicago Tribune, Business 2.0 Magazine, Home Magazine, Smart HomeOwner Magazine and many others.
Jack Nargundkar
Jack Nargundkar has been repeatedly published in Business Week, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post, and The New York Times. He is also an author of "The Bush Diaries" published in July 2005.
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