Preparing for the Interview - Part 2

When you sit down for a job interview, you should have come prepared and knowing the types of questions you may be faced with, and be ready to answer quickly, professionally, and in a manner that sells yourself as the best candidate for the position. I mentioned briefly in the last posting how many employers now employ the behavioral type question to determine ways that you have handled situations in the past in an effort of predicting how you may handle similar issues in the future. There are also other questions that may be asked that could be even tougher to answer if you have not prepared to adequately do so.

"Why did you leave your last job" - "why were you laid off/fired?" - "Why does your resume reflect that you were unemployed for XX amount of years during this time?" These and other similar types of questions are the types you need to have a proper explanation for that still promotes you as the best candidate for the current position. Here are a few tips to help you tackle this issue and conquer these tougher questions.

Maybe the gaps in your resume history were not from being unemployed, but in fact maybe you only included prior jobs/skills on your resume that actually relate to the current position at hand. I know for me personally, when I go for a job interview in say a web design field, I may tweak my resume and not list jobs I have held in unrelated fields. Doing this may help to target your resume/application to the job at hand, but it does open the door for questions about those gaps in time. If those gaps are simply just unrelated jobs, then that is easy to explain, and a more detailed job history could be laid out if requested. However, if those gaps represent times of unemployment, then you need to be prepared to explain those times.

The manner in which you respond to these areas is as important as the actual answers you give to the questions. Be sure to keep your cool, stay professional, do not allow the tone of your voice to become defensive or sound agitated, nor let your body language reflect anything other than confidence. Do not go into a long time of rambling or scrambling to answer the question, which is the main reason I bring these things up now. Be prepared, be brief, and answer the question confidently, and in a manner that is satisfactory to the interviewer.

If you spend a little time preparing and practicing, you will be able to fine tune your interview techniques in a way that allows you to answer and stay focused and professional, which will go far in helping to show the interviewer that you have your act together and are a great candidate for the position.

Jeff McCormack resides in Virginia Beach, VA. where he works as a web designer by day. In his off time he is a husband, father, and musician. Aside from being a freelance writer for this Customer Service Jobs blog, he also seeks to assist in career choices and information by contributing to other Nexxt blog sites.