Ace the Interview & Get the Job

Posted on December 28, 2009
Filed Under Interview | Leave a Comment

Okay, so you’ve sent out the resumes, had your hopes dashed with the rejection letters, and now you’ve finally got the first interview! But, you haven’t been in the job market for awhile, or this is your first real interview after graduating from school, or even worse, you were fired from your last job…you can’t afford or you don’t want to mess this one up. Don’t panic! There are things that you can do to allay your fears, and at the same time, ensure that if the fit is right, you’ll have a great shot at getting the job. (After all, you’re already halfway there…you’ve got the interview!)

The key to doing well in any interview is preparation. And not just the usual stuff, either, but REAL preparation…everything from the way you look right down to the attitude that you have as you walk through the door on the day of the interview. Oh, but no, you think, you’re too nervous to manage all that? Wrong. The more you prepare, over and over, the more mundane it will become, and the less nervous you’ll be when it’s finally time for the actual interview. But, first things first. Let’s start at the beginning.

The first thing you’ll want to do, when you set up the interview, be it via email, or over the phone, is to confirm the details and write them down. Make certain that you get the exact time, the date, the location, a telephone number, the name of the company, and the name of the person you will be meeting with. If the interview is set up via email, print the email containing the details. If it’s set up via telephone, write everything down, and if you’re not certain that you have everything correct, call the main phone number for the company and confirm any details that you’re not certain that you got right the first time.

Once you’re sure that you have the information, do your research on the company itself. Go to their website, and study ALL of the site, from the products or services offered, to the history of the company, and any individuals highlighted, etc. A great way to study the entire site is to find the site map and review the site from the top down. You’ll often find links to pages that you wouldn’t normally notice if you simply browse the site itself. Make a few notes about things that honestly interest you, and have those notes available during the interview. (Notice that I said “honestly interest you?” The person that you’ll be interviewing with will see right through you if you aren’t genuinely interested when you ask a question. So, if the interest is not genuine, don’t ask the question.)

After you’ve done your research on the company, then it’s time to review your own qualifications. Study your resume, reminding yourself over and over of your qualifications, your work history, your supervisors, your references…study your resume until you’re completely bored with it. This way, when the time comes, the answers to the interviewers questions will practically just roll right off your tongue!

Then, after you’ve done your homework, plan your appearance. If you can, drive by the company around quitting time (or first thing in the morning) a day or two before the interview, and pay attention to what the employees are wearing as they come out the door at the end of the day (or go in the door at the beginning, whichever works out). This will help you to select the proper wardrobe to wear the day of the interview. Not only will dressing properly help to calm your own fears, but it will also make the interview feel that you “fit in” with the rest of the people in the company, and make him or her that much more likely to hire you.

Finally, make sure that you know where you are going. Mapquest or Google the address, and allow plenty of time to get there the day ofthe interview. The less stress that you have on the way to the interview, the less stressed you’ll be during the interview.

On the day of the interview, allow yourself plenty of time to dress, and plenty of time to get there. Lay everything out the night before, and make sure that you have a nice folder or portfolio containing two current, clean copies of your resume, your references, any letters of recommendation, the email (or your notes) about the interview, and a pad of paper with any questions or notes you made during your research.

Shower, dress appropriately, and don’t smoke at all before you go to the interview (even if you are a smoker, this is really important, as the smell of smoke is generally a turn off to any interviewer).

When you arrive at the location of the interview, take a deep breath, and walk in with the attitude that you aren’t going to get the job, you’re just going in to talk to these people, etc., so you have no reason not to be yourself. And, no reason to be nervous. This one trick, convincing yourself before the interview that you’re not going to get the job, is the best piece of advice anyone will ever give you before an interview. Because if you go into the interview with the assumption that you aren’t going to get the job, then you’re essentially allowing yourself the freedom to be yourself. And, if the person that you present to the interviewer is really yourself and the fit with the company is right, you’ll get the job!

Author: Tammie J
Article Source: EzineArticles.com
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