Four Steps to Wow the Interviewer

Landing a job interview represents one of the most important steps of your job search adventure, especially when you realize your hard work paid off just to get to this point. Once you get your opportunity to close the sale, you must learn to impress the interviewer.

The fact that you get face time means human resources likes your experience, skill set and written communications. The job interview is all about perceptions, personality and how you handle yourself in front of other people. Take into account these four steps to impress the interviewer and lead to a strong performance when it counts the most.

Research the Firm

Become familiar with the company so you can relate to the people in front you. This leads to more intelligent talking points and creates context for your conversations. Knowing what the company stands for and how it earns revenue means you understand the basics of what your potential boss expects of you. Before you walk into the job interview, determine the company's core values, recent projects, high-profile initiatives, size and unique aspects. Show your interviewers what you found out and why these things matter to you. Search for relevant information by sifting through social media, news releases, YouTube videos and the firm's website.

Familiarize Yourself with the Job Description

You have already put keywords from the job description into your cover letter, application and resume. The job interview puts your knowledge of the position to the test in a more spontaneous environment. Relate as many questions as possible to your role within the company as it fits the job description. Before you drive to the interview, go over each point of the description line by line and determine how each one explains your experience and skill set.

Practice, Practice, Practice

Practice doesn't make perfect, but practice makes permanent. Review common interview questions and rehearse various responses. Work on tough questions such as what you want for a salary and why you left your previous job until you know exactly how you want to respond. Practice until you become confident and comfortable with each question in order to make the job interview yours. Rehearsing doesn't mean giving generic, robotic responses. Instead, it means training your mind to give pertinent feedback to your interviewer. No one expects you to be perfect, but exuding rehearsed confidence gives you an edge over other candidates.

Make Your Own Questions

At the end of most interviews, the person in front of you asks if you have any questions for him. The types of questions you ask informs your interviewer exactly what you think of the company. Relevant inquiries revolve around your role within the company, the next steps of the process and the company's timeline for when you should hear back.

Your job interview allows you to translate your work on paper into a 30-minute preview for your potential boss. Wow the interviewer by preparing key points ahead of time and by remaining confident from the initial handshake to the ending "thank you for your time."

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