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Interview Tips: Ten of my favorite job interview tips

By Annette Lewis

A Job Interview can be a daunting event.

The prospect of being questioned by a complete stranger in an unfamiliar environment can cause many job seekers to feel a complete sense of dread.

Indeed, some people fear interviews so much they refuse to change jobs or make applications for more senior positions. They hold themselves back and as a result miss out on potentially lucrative careers.

The good news is that interviews don't have to be scary and in this article I list 10 of my favorite job interview tips.

My Favorite Job Interview Tips

Interview Tip 1. Carry Out Mock Interviews:

Job interviews can be made so familiar that you will feel calm, comfortable and confident and will even look forward to taking part. The secret is to carry out mock interviews again and again and not only will this help you perfect your answers it will normalize the job interview process and make it a familiar event for you.

Interview Tip 2. Learn All You Can About The Job Interview

Find out as much as you can about the interview and you will arm yourself with valuable information. Find out what format it is going to take, where it is being held, for example at an assessment center or in the recruiter's office; will a psychometric test be involved, how long will it take and who are the interviewers. If being recruited through an agency get them to earn their fee by finding out as much detail as possible about the job interview for you.

Interview Tip 3. Ask around

You may know somebody who works for the company and who knows your prospective boss. They can give you valuable insights into how the organization works, the skills they value and the culture it operates under.

Interview Tip 4. Think of Examples

Try not to memorize questions or answers. It is better to choose a theme, say communication, and think about situations where you have shown excellent communication skills. Think of at least 2 examples of these situations; what did you do, what made your communication work, what techniques did you use and importantly be ready to detail the successful outcome. A successful result gives proof or evidence that you are in fact excellent with this competency.

Interview Tip 5. Avoid Stock Answers

Avoid the temptation to just use a stock answer as they can very often sound false. It is better to use your own words, even if not grammatically perfect as your enthusiasm and energy will shine through. Get expert help with creating winning answers.

Interview Tip 6. Avoid Going to Interviews Just for Practice

It is often recommended by guides that you go along to interviews for jobs you are not interested in just to get practice. Be wary, as chances are, the interviewer will pick up your lack of interest and you will not get the job. You then have to consider how this rejection will impact on your confidence level.

Interview Tip 7. Don't take notes during the interview

It will only give the impression that you are not listening or cannot retain information. You also run the risk of fiddling with your pen and notebook, never a good look during an interview.

Interview Tip 8. Don't Beg

Never feel that you are begging for a job or that the employer has all the power. Interviewing is always a two way process and you are offering something which the interviewer wants. In addition, never say you are 'desperate'. This will guarantee you lose the job as an interviewer will question why nobody else wants you.

Interview Tip 9. Smile

A useful tip in an interview and relevant even if you are being interviewed over the telephone is to smile. By smiling you will feel confident and more positive and while the caller cannot see you they will detect this in the quality of your voice.

Interview Tip 10. Follow up

Once the job interview is over remember to use proper follow up procedures to keep you at the forefront of the interviewer's mind when they are making the decision.

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About the Author

Annette Lewis is an accredited interviewer and has recruited for many organizations within Healthcare, Education, Customer Services and Banking

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