Quick and Easy Steps to Help Nail an Interview

Whether you're getting ready for your first job interview, or you are a seasoned job hunter who just wants to brush up his interviewing skills, the following Quick and Easy Steps to Help Nail an Interview will provide some tips and techniques that will help you secure your next job offer. The most important thing to remember when going into an interview is that your goal is to get a job offer. Many people look at an interview as an opportunity to exchange information and they forget to focus on the fact that you should be striving to receive an offer.


Knowing that your goal during the interview is to receive a job offer, preparing for your interview can be critical to your success. If you've been on a bunch of interviews and aren't receiving offers, now is a good time to assess your interviewing techniques and see where you can make improvements. Here is a list of items to help with your preparations:

• Have directions to your interview and be sure to arrive early. Prepare for traffic and unexpected delays so that you arrive at the interview on time. If you arrive late you've already started off on the wrong foot. If you do run into any problems, be sure to call the person to let her know.
• Have strong body language. This means that you need to smile, look the person in the eyes and have a firm handshake. Reports have shown that 93% of an interview is based on personality, body language and how you interact with others.
• Be positive throughout the interview. Do not bad mouth previous employers or co-workers.
• Be open minded and show interest throughout the interview. Many people make the mistake of letting their body language give them away. If the interviewer asks you a question and you grimace, you can be sure that the interviewer took that as a red flag. And if a question posed by the interviewer makes you wonder if this job is a good fit for you, don't lose your focus and become less upbeat. If you do, the interviewer will pick-up on this and you surely won't receive an offer.
• Research the company and have a list of questions prepared.
• Use stories and examples when answering a question. If you are asked, "Do you like to work in teams?" and you respond, "Yes, it makes work more fun when you work as a team"; you have given a very generic answer and haven't provided anything that would help you stand out from the other people being interviewed. On the other hand, if you answer with an example of a time where you worked on a team and you highlight how the team completed a project ahead of schedule and 15% under budget; you have now given the interview a better picture of why they should hire you.
• Ask questions. It shows that you are interested in the position. However, do not ask questions that are simply about benefits, money, sick-time and vacation. These are all things that can be addressed in a subsequent interview. Focus on questions that show that you researched the company and that you are interested in learning more about the position.

Now that you've learned some tips and techniques for having a more successful job interview, remember that the interview continues even after you've said your good-byes. What does this mean to you? Follow-up with the interviewer and send a thank you note. A well-written note that discusses your interest in the job, and highlights key points for why you would be a good fit, can help you stand out from other people being considered.
By putting a little time into preparing for your next interview, you improve your chances of having a successful interview and achieving your goal of receiving a job offer.

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