A Job Interview is Like the Opening Night of a Play

Preparation is an essential key to the outcome of an interview. One strategy is to prepare for a job interview as if it was the opening night of a play. Before opening night, actors may spend hundreds of hours practicing. Job applicants also need to practice, but fortunately they should not need to do so for hundreds of hours. They just need to prepare themselves to effectively communicate the information that the interviewer will need to gather before the company can extend a job offer.

Before an interview, candidates should try to prepare answers to questions that are most commonly asked by interviewers. Some examples are:

1. Tell me about yourself.
2. What do you see yourself doing five years from now?
3. What are your strengths?
4. What are your weaknesses?
5. What job did you like the most/least? Why?
6. Why do you want to work for this company?
7. What is your most significant job accomplishment?
8. Why did you leave your last position?
9. What was the biggest challenge or most difficult situation you ever faced? How did you handle it?
10. Describe the kind of boss you would like to work for.

Learning about the company is also necessary when preparing for an interview because candidates are often asked why they want to work for the company or what they know about the company. Candidates that demonstrate that they have knowledge about the company show that they care about the company, and not just the position.

Gathering information about a company is not difficult. Local libraries have a wealth of information. Good sources are trade journals, company annual reports, and recent newspaper and magazine articles. Some inquiries that candidates should make about a company before an interview are:

1. Who owns the company?
2. What are its major products and services?
3. Who are its key people? What are their functions or titles?
4. What has the company achieved?
5. When was the company started?
6. What are the company's goals or mission statement?
7. Who are the company's competitors?
8. What changes or growth has the company experienced in the last couple of years?
9. What is its size? (i.e., employees, locations, sales and profits)
10. Who are its customers? What is the profile of a typical customer?

Interviewers ask questions to make sure that candidates have the right skills and attitudes and that each appears to be a good fit for the company. Traits commonly looked for are that the candidate is

• confident
• driven
• motivated
• ambitious
• determined
• reliable
• honest
• energetic
• controlled
• prompt
• articulate
• dedicated and efficient

Interviewers also look for candidates that have good analytical skills, are team players and have good communication and listening skills. While being interviewed, candidates should demonstrate that they have these traits and the right skills for the job.

Remember that candidates generally receive interviews because they appear to have the right qualifications. As a result, relax, act naturally and try to enjoy the process. Good luck!