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FIND A JOB - Interviewing

Prepare | Schedule | THE INTERVIEW | Follow-up

So, you've assessed your skills and accomplishments, researched the company, come up with questions and practiced your answers, all in the Prepare section. What can you expect on the big day? First, you need to arrive fifteen minutes early, looking sharp. After checking in with the company receptionist, take two minutes to go to the restroom and make sure you are presentable. When they are ready, your interviewer (or interviewers) will come in and greet you. While they lead you to the interview room, you will make a little small-talk, perhaps about the traffic or weather. Once seated in the interview room, your potential employer will probably ask you to tell them a little bit about yourself. The interview has begun! To make the most of your interview, stand out from the crowd, and land this job, make a good impression, answer each question, stay calm under pressure and close the interview.

Making a Good Impression Researchers believe that an interviewer makes a hiring decision within the first five minutes of meeting you! Most of that decision is made based on your appearance, your professional manner, and your level of self-confidence.

You can knock their socks off right away by following this advice:

Appear professional & conservative

• Both men and women should wear a suit, or a uniform if appropriate.
• Clothes should be spotless and ironed, with no missing cufflinks or buttons. Try on clothes a few days in advance to catch any problems and to make sure you can move around comfortably.
• Carefully groom your hair, teeth, and nails. Men's hair should be trimmed and women's hair fastened away from the face.
• Remove any visible (unconventional) piercing and cover all tattoos.
• Keep makeup looking natural and apply with a light touch.

Arrive prepared and on time

• Plan to get there fifteen minutes early. Get directions to the company a few days before your interview, and do a practice drive (or walk or bus ride) if you can!
• Bring your portfolio (if you have one) and a few extra copies of your resume.

Project confidence - this is what they look for most!

• When your interviewer greets you, stand up straight, give them a firm handshake, and smile.
• Keep excellent posture throughout the interview, and don't fidget. (Don't tap your foot, play with your hair, bite your nails, etc.)
• Avoid saying things like "um" and "you know." You'll get better at this every time you do a practice interview with a partner.
• Make strong eye contact with your interview and nod to show that you understand what they are saying.

Answering Those Questions It's essential to prepare yourself for interview questions before you even get there. When you've thought through and rehearsed your answers, you'll have a lot more to say during the interview.

You'll also ease some of your own tension and avoid rambling on and on. Show your potential boss that you can handle a tough question or two! First, find out the most commonly asked interview questions (see above). Next, learn how to answer the tough ones. When an interviewer asks you to talk about your strengths, for example, you can use well-thought-out stories based on job, life, and school experiences to answer intelligently and honestly. For many interview questions, think PAR:

Problem: Talk about a time when you were faced with a problem, like a deadline, a hard project, or a difficult situation with a classmate or co-worker.

Action: Tell the interviewer all the actions you took to solve your problem. Did you work overtime, come up with an imaginative way to get things done? Did you keep the peace and get everyone to work together? Tell them exactly how you did it, and tell them which of your strengths you used (like people, communication, time management, or creative thinking skills).

Results: Describe the positive outcome of your situation. Maybe you met your deadline against all odds, or ended up bringing your co-workers closer together. Want to know how to answer when they ask you about your weaknesses? You can find out how to answer other tough interview questions by checking out our list of common questions.

Staying Calm Under Pressure Nobody ever said interviewing was fun, but it is not a matter of life and death, either. Try to relax as much as possible under the circumstances:

• Make sure you are prepared. This means knowing your resume, researching the company very carefully, and doing practice interviews both online and with a partner.
• Make sure you have practiced getting to your interview before the big day, so you are sure to be about fifteen minutes early. It is hard to be relaxed if you are rushing to make it on time.
• When you are waiting for your interviewer, close your eyes and picture the interview going well. Imagine answering your interview questions thoughtfully and with confidence.
• Remember, you have earned the right to talk about your skills and achievements, and you deserve to get a good job.
• During the interview, give yourself time to pause and think before answering questions. There is no rush.
• If you have a portfolio, use it. When your interviewer mentions entries in your resume, you can pull out items that show off the projects you have done for each. This takes the focus off of you and helps you to remember your strengths and accomplishments.

Closing the Interview Toward the end of the interview, your potential employer will ask if you have any questions for them. That's when you can really impress them with how well you've prepared. Remember not to ask about salary, benefits, or vacation time. They will bring those up when it's appropriate.

Say they do ask you about your salary requirements. What do you say? This is another time when research pays off. Make sure you have talked to industry professionals and have done some online research to find out the average salary of someone in your target job. Some career websites offer a salary calculator for just this kind of situation! When you know the average salary, you can tell your interviewer that you understand an employee in your target job usually makes between $35,000 and $45,000 a year (for example).

Your interviewer will let you know when the meeting is about over. They might ask if the job still interests you. Even if they do not ask, make sure to tell them how much you want the position.

Next, politely ask the interviewer for their business card. Thank them for their time and ask whether or not you should contact them next. You can say, "What is the process from here?" Or ask, "Would you like me to get in touch next, or shall I wait to hear from you?"

When your interviewer stands up, get up and offer them a firm handshake. Thank them again for their time, and tell them that you look forward to hearing their decision. If they lead you back out to the reception area, make a little more small talk, and offer one more firm handshake on the way out. Congratulations! You are done!

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