Some of the greatest help for your job interview will come from your résumé, believe it or not. A well-thought-out résumé will be an excellent source for hiring manager's questions, so be prepared to speak to any, and every, point you've placed-or had placed-on the document. Granted, hiring managers will throw you some curveball questions, but the best way to answer these is to speak to the position and maintain your focus on the interview's primary goal-marketing yourself to the company.
Getting Ready: Key Approaches You know yourself, but no matter how good you are with people, don't walk into an interview cold. Here is a baseline strategy:
- Prepare thoroughly. Know the company, as well as why you want the position and how you can help. Preparation heightens your confidence, deepens interviews, and suggests your caliber of work.
- Anticipate questions the employer will ask and develop answers.
- Devise questions to ask in your turn. Don't hesitate to inquire about drawbacks of the position. Every position has drawbacks.
- Have someone conduct a practice interview with you.
- Don't worry too much about nervousness. It's normal and usually helpful, since it can spur your quickness, memory, and resourcefulness.
- In the interview, focus on how you can help the company, not on how it can help you.
- Don't offer negative information about yourself or criticize prior employers.
- Listen. Concentrate on what the interviewer is saying.
- Seek common ground. If possible, do pre-interview research to see what the interviewer likes and doesn't like.
- Express interest in the position. Make your motivation plain.