Mika’s Winning Job Interview Tips

When I think about my very first job interview I want to find a rock, crawl under it and hide. Everything that could possibly go wrong went wrong that day and instead of acknowledging the real issue behind my failure; I came out of the room swearing to myself that I will never ever go through another job interview again. Needless to say, I didn’t get the job. I was so traumatized by the experience I ended up passing off some great job opportunities that came my way, because I could not get myself to go through the interview process… no, actually the truth is I had no clue about the interview process or how to even prepare for one.

Once I figured out that I needed help, I sought out the local career center. A career counselor helped me guide through the interview process and gave me some tips on completing the interview successfully. By applying what I learned I was able to land a job of a lifetime. If you’ve had trouble in the past with sweaty palm, shaking knees and loss of words take a moment to go through the tips and the video at the end. Let’s see if I can help you turn things around.

Before the interview:

• Do some basic research to gather background information about the company, and the position you are applying for – it will show that you really are interested in being a part of their team


• Think about yourself, your strengths and what you will offer the company before the interview – this will help you answer questions clearly at the interview


• Practice interviewing with a family member, friend or a colleague – this will help calm your nerves at the interview

During the interview:

• Wear something conservative and comfortable – this will indicate that you are ready to go to work today


• Arrive for the interview with time to spare – rushing on the morning of an interview will only increase your nerves


• Do not fabricate information about yourself – answer the questions truthfully


• Try to remain calm as possible - don’t talk too long or repeat yourself

Comedian Mitch Hedberg ones said that “I had a job interview at an insurance company once and the lady said "Where do you see yourself in five years?" and I said "Celebrating the fifth year anniversary of you asking me this question” (peacefulprosperity.com). Now that is the self confidence you need to be successful at a job interview!

Check out this excellent video for more winning job interview tips:

Reference:

Dobrin, S. I., Keller, C. J., & Weisser, C. R. Technical Communications: in the Twenty-First Century, (2002). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson Custom Publishing.

3 Easy Techniques to Own an Interview. http://peacefulprosperity.com/3-easy-techniques-to-own-an-interview/ Retrieved on 11/20/09