By Relocation.com Staff
We have a load of interview preparatory articles for you to ace whatever job interview you're facing. In addition to providing you access to the library, this article is intended as a beginner's guide to interviews -- use the articles provided at the end of this article for more information on interviewing.
Be Prepared
Understand yourself including your skills, interest background and most importantly why your want this specific job. Be prepared mentally for the questions and answers process that is sure to come, including information about the company.
Clarify Objectives
The interview has objective for the interview discussed earlier however you also need to have objectives.
Hone Interview Skills
The best way to hone interview skills is to practice as much as possible. The best way of going about this is by attending as many interviews as possible. This in itself is probably not the best solution however as you may get a bad reputation in your industry from the earlier interviews where you may have been inexperienced. You can always practice your interview skills with a friend or family member
Practice your responses to questions
You will find most interviewers ask pretty much the same questions so there is no reason for not being prepared to answer many of the questions you will be asked. You do not have to have memorized entire sentences or paragraphs however, having key points in your head is a good idea. Practice in front of a mirror or with friends or family, practice while in the gym or driving in traffic but do practice wherever it might be. You could also use a tape recorder to record your answers and listen back to the tape.
Practice Listening
One of the most important skills at an interview and in life in general is listening. You must learn to listen, be patient, don't interrupt in mid sentence and just pay attention to what is being said. The skills required to be a good listener are concentration and effort and few people really master these. Listening requires that you don't just hear what is being said but also requires you do to be sensitive to the tone and demeanor of the speaker. These are really the subtle elements of communication.
Tips for effective listening
- Don't feel you have to say something if there is a pause in the conversation
- Always ask for clarification if you are unsure of the question
- Don't have your response formulated until the person has not finished speaking
- Pay attention to the subtleties of communication such as stone and inflections.
- Practice these skills in your everyday life, on the phone, in person or whenever you are talking with somebody.
Eye contact
Make frequent eye contact with the interviewer. If there is more than one interviewer, be sure to make eye contact with each interviewer.
Posture
Sit up straight, look confident.
Pace your answers
Are you speaking too quickly or too slowly?
Your Next Move:
Make a Good First Impression
Challenges That Could Mess You Up During an Interview
Interview Tactics to Help You Land the Job
Your Pre-Interview Prep Checklist