Getting a job depends a lot on how you present yourself during the interview. It’s not only about your academic background or technical skills and experience but it’s also very much about your attitude, body language, perceived fit with the workplace and the way you approach the interview as a whole.

• Prep yourself about the company before the interview.
• Be prepared with essentials. Take extra two or three copies of your resume, cover letter, references, college transcripts, professional documents, and anything else needed with you. Do this even though you already submitted them earlier.
• Dress appropriately. First impressions last. It is human nature to presume that a person turning up in jeans to an office job really doesn’t have their mind on the job and therefore really doesn’t want the job. Same for unironed clothing, clothing with obvious stains, disheveled clothing, and clothing that is too revealing or informal. Once the interviewers have a negative impression from your clothing, it’s hard to shake this. Don’t allow your clothes to let you down; this is one area in which you can excel. And be sure that over-dressing is always preferred to under-dressing for a job interview; it shows you’re serious about the job.
• Be punctual. Always arrive 15 to 20 minutes before the interview time. Allow time to park your car or for the public transportation to get you where you need to be. Go inside the building and use the additional time to relax until you are called on. Practice some deep breathing while you wait and go over interview answers in your head if you need to, otherwise just focus on peaceful thoughts. This way you don’t have to rush in, and you can stay calm and focused during interview.
• Greet readily and smile. When you enter the interview room and meet the interviewers, be respectful to them and greet them with a smile on your face. When you are asked to have a seat, sit up straight and stay confident. This way you will look professional and mature, as well as setting them at ease about your intention to listen and respond with eagerness.
• Stay calm. There might be situations when you’re asked something and you think you don’t have clue as to how to answer. Don’t be nervous – the fact is you think you don’t know but if you’ve done your research as outlined earlier, there will always be an answer, even if it has to be a lateral one.
• Be precise. When asked about your qualifications and why they should hire you, be specific. State in a way that catches interviewers’ attention and make them feel that they would make a mistake if you are not hired.
• Prepare for some delicate questions. Most of the time, interviewers ask some tricky questions because these are how they separate the people they want to work with from everyone else. And quite simply, if you’re not well prepared, you will get caught off-guard.
• Always be positive. Be positive about your past experiences and qualifications. Show them how much knowledge you gained by giving examples and how they can be useful to them if you are hired.
• Be professional about phone interviews. If you have a phone interview always remember the only impression your interviewer can get about you is the way you speak. Make sure you use right key words to create a good feeling. Smile when you talk and stay confident because interviewer can sense that even though s/he can’t see you.
• Be courteous. If you get the job you applied for, don’t forget to send a thank you email or a note. And even if you don’t get it, it can’t hurt to say thank you for their time. Going that extra mile even when you don’t get the job can be something that gets remembered when they do need someone with your skills base and they still have your notes on file. You might be their second choice, or tied for first and showing the appropriate professional courtesy may give you the advantage you need over their other choice. Never shut the door.
• Ask Questions. You will be given the opportunity to ask questions. Remember, you are interviewing them as well. The time to find out you don’t like the manager or the team is before you’re hired. Recall scenarios you didn’t like at previous jobs and ask how they handle the same situation. You may only get to ask one or two questions, so make them count. For example, if you like structure and documented processes, ask about their Procedures Manual. If they tell you their procedures aren’t fully documented, you might not be a good fit there (or you may be able to document their processes for them for extra points).

(An excellent post from WikiHow)

Posted: Tuesday, July 26th, 2011 @ 10:30 am
Categories: Job Interview.
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