Job Hunting: 3 Tips for Successful Interviewing

It can be a nerve-wrecking prospect to think about your impending job interview. What will you say? How will you dress? What if the interviewer asks questions for which you don’t know the answers? These are all questions you may run through your mind before ever meeting the prospective employer. But while interviews can be intimidating, they don’t have to be feared – especially if you come equipped with the right knowledge. So let’s look at three tips that can help you place the job you want in the palm of your hands. Tip #1: Conduct Practice Q&A Sessions Before you ever set foot on the property of your prospective employer, it is important that you mentally prepare for the challenge you’re up against. Being that you’ve never interviewed before, it may seem impossible to prepare for the unknown. But luckily for you, there are bound to be some individuals in your life who have been on job interviews. So give them a job of helping you prepare. A good way to start your preparation is by first conducting some research on the company you are interested in working for. After you’ve learned the company’s overall mission, what they look for in employees, and most importantly, what they want in the hiring position, you can give this information to your helper. Then he or she can compose interview questions, have you show up for the mock interview in full attire, and ask the questions so that you can begin to feel comfortable with the process. Tip #2: Dress for Success This is probably one of the more important aspects of interviewing for any position, no matter how casual you think it might be. The prospective employer wants to confirm how serious you are about the job, something that is partially accomplished by dressing up in business attire for the interview. While this may seem to be common sense to some, there are many newcomers to the world of interviewing who show up wearing khaki pants or low-cut tops. So if you already knew that wearing a business suit (clean with no wrinkles) is the way to go, good job. But if you were just about to walk out of the door in your T-shirt and khakis, you may want to go change your clothes. Tip #3: Speak from the Heart Starting off in your practice Q&A session, and eventually transitioning into your actual interview, it is important that you place personal value on your decision to apply for the job. If you go into the interview thinking that you won’t like the job, the interviewer might sense the apprehension and pass you up for the position. However, if you come in genuinely enthusiastic about the position, it will be much easier for you to find the right words to express that enthusiasm. If you follow these three tips, you’ll be that much closer to securing the job of your dreams. So practice, practice, practice with your Q&A session, go buy a suit that makes you feel comfortable, and go to the interview with great passion. You’ll see that your budding confidence in your interviewing skills will skyrocket in time for your very first interview.