How To Ace a Job Interview?

Answer 1

You've sent out your resume and cover letter, and now you've got what you wanted – that job interview.

Don't be nervous, but getting that job you want so much all depends on the 15 minutes you'll spend trying to convince a total stranger that you're the perfect person to earn a paycheck in his or her company.

The job interview can be one of the most stressful experiences you'll ever go through, if you let it. However, if you're armed with a few simple tools, you'll find that you can not only get through the interview without crying, cursing or fainting, but you can ace that interview.

And it's just like anything else – the more you interview, the easier it gets. Here's some tips that I've learned while being on the other side of that interview desk, doing the choosing myself.

1. Be on time. That doesn't mean rushing in 10 minutes late because you couldn't find the business. Use Google maps and print out those directions, and leave your house early enough to avoid traffic delays. And it also doesn't mean arriving more than 10 minutes early. People doing the hiring generally schedule their interviews a half-hour apart. If you show up too early, you may interrupt another interview before yours, or at the very least, you'll leave the interviewer's office staff feeling like they have to entertain you. Not a good start.

2. First impressions matter. Men, get a good, stylish, conservative haircut and a neatly pressed and clean suit or sports jacket and pants. No wild colors; black or navy blue are the best. Women, keep it modest. Skirts should be no shorter than knee length, and wear pumps, not sandals. You should not have bare legs; even in the summer, they are unprofessional. And make sure you can walk in those heels you've chosen.

3. Introduce yourself with a firm handshake and make eye contact. Hiring people are human too and they respond to feeling important..

4. Be honest while you're answering the interviewer's questions. If you have no experience in a certain field, admit it.

5. Do not answer the question “what are your weaknesses” by saying “I tend to work too hard and I get upset when I miss a deadline.”

6. Engage in the conversation. Don't just let sit there like a bump on the log.

7. Have a question, when the interviewer asks you if you do. When you don't, it shows no interest in the company.

8. Do your research and find out what the company does. If you're not interested in anything but a paycheck, then this company is not for you.

9. Have a salary range in mind, Don't undercut yourself, but don't ask for an outlandish amount.

10. Don't give too much information. The interviewer wants to know if you can do the job, but not about your health issues, your child's toilet training or your recent divorce. Keep it professional.

And once you've gotten through your interview, don't forget to send a thank-you (by mail, not by e-mail) to the hiring person. It's polite, and it will keep your name in mind.

Good luck!