Successful Interviewing

Successful interviewing requires practice. Here are a few tips on how you can better prepare for your interview.

• Research the company, product lines, and competitors before the interview. The interviewer doesn’t expect you to know everything about the company, but taking the time to research the company will help you to ask and respond to questions intelligently.
• Arrive at least 5-10 minutes ahead of time so that you can gather your thoughts and won’t be out of breath. If you are not sure where you are going, give yourself an extra 20-30 minutes, just in case you get lost.
• Introduce yourself in a courteous manner. A proper handshake and eye contact is as important as what you say during the introduction.
• Develop answers to questions you think the interviewer will ask. Keep your responses down to 2-3 minutes.
• Ask good questions about the company, the job, the industry. Many interviewers believe the questions you ask are as important as the answers you give to their own questions. Good questions require advance preparation. Write out specific questions you want to ask, and then look for opportunities to ask them during the interview.
• Include specific details and quantifiable data when discussing your strengths. Generalities are less believable than facts and figures.
• Prepare five or more success stories that focus on your skills and key assets. Be able to tell your story with fresh enthusiasm, highlighting the skills and assets that relate to the question.
• Use a conversational tone, body language, and eye contact to show interest. Smile, nod, and give nonverbal feedback to the interviewer.
• Take notes as you listen to the interviewer. This will help you to ask intelligent questions and compose your thank-you letter later on.
• Don’t ask about benefits or salary in your first interview. Do ask about the next step in the process.
• Thank the interviewer before leaving. Give the interviewer another handshake and smile.
• Write a brief, concise thank-you letter to anyone you met during the interview. Restate your skills and stress what you can do for the company.
• Keep an interview journal. Right after your interview, write a brief summary, noting important facts or contact information. Note any follow-up action you should take.