The Interview Tips for a good Resumé

No interview is ever a failure. Throughout your career, it is likely that you will NOT get most of the jobs for which you interview. Think about it: For any given job, there might be several hundred applicants, and only a few of those might be called in for an interview. And only one of those will get the job.

Just by getting the interview you are improving your chances for future jobs. More importantly, you get experience interviewing. Like anything else, the more you interview, the better you get at it. Good interviewing takes practice, and practice is hard to come by. Preparation, however, is the perfect substitute. Learn the most you can about the job, its requirements, and the company and industry for which you are interviewing, paying particular attention to the organization for which you hope to work. To an interviewer, this shows initiative, leads to more insightful conversation during the interview, and distinguishes you from other candidates. From your perspective, thorough preparation
lets you learn even more about the position and the organization and this knowledge enables you to make a more informed decision should you receive a job offer. Just as important, preparation builds confidence which lets you relax during the interview. And that translates into success. Think about the exams you took in college. The ones that created the most anxiety were the ones for which you were the least prepared. On the other hand, the ones you knew cold going in caused the least amount of stress. It's the same with interviews. Your confidence will show and you will give a better presentation of your qualifications. And if that presentation isn't good enough on the first interview, it is still knowledge gained for the second interview, or the third interview. Your familiarity with certain questions and situations will make your responses more polished the next time. Any interview, even if it does not lead to a job, is preparation for your next interview. And that could be the one which gets you your desired position.

Preparing for the Interview

• Spend a couple of hours on periodical database systems (such as InfoTrac) at your local library. These databases allow users to search for magazine and newspaper articles that can, for interviewing purposes, provide information on the companies and industries in which you are interested.
• Acquire company literature such as newsletters and annual reports. (A tip: If you're interviewing locally, drive to the company to pick these up. You will familiarize yourself with its location and have one less thing to worry about the day of the interview.)
• Get comfortable talking about yourself, your career and your accomplishments. Practice out loud, by yourself or in front of friends, to get used to what can be an uncomfortable and/or unusual situation. Know how you will answer the inevitable, "How can you help our organization?" and "Tell us about yourself."
• Talk to friends or colleagues who have gone through a job search. Ask them about the kinds of questions you can expect and how they handled particular situations. Try to become as familiar as you can with the interviewing process.