5 Steps to Interview Success

Be Prepared – Have knowledge of the organization and industry. Research the company by reviewing their website, online reports and any other information you can find. This will demonstrate your interest and enthusiasm for the job. Knowledge of the company will enable you to answer questions related to the organization and why you want to work there with confidence.

Be Confident – Portraying confidence in yourself and your ability to do the job is key to a successful interview. Being nervous is completely normal; practice answering interview questions with a friend. When it’s time to shake the interviewer’s hand, give a firm hand shake, smile and make eye contact.

Dress to Impress – Dressing for success is critical when trying to make a good first impression with your potential employer. How you dress makes a statement about who you are. Unless you are instructed to dress otherwise, dressing professionally is your best strategy, even if the company has a more relaxed dress code. Do not wear heavy perfume, jewelry or chew gum.

Stay Cool, Calm and Collected – Try to limit any nervous movements during your interview as they will detract from your overall impression. Use positive non-verbal communication such as eye contact, good posture and a strong confident voice when responding to interview questions.

Keep in mind there a few different interview types; it is important to be familiar with the different styles so you are not caught off guard. Often employers will ask you difficult questions for the sole purpose of observing your reaction.   What they really want to know is if you have the ability to handle a stressful situation.

The interview process is stressful, and not on most people’s top 10 list of things they enjoy doing, but unfortunately it is part of everyone’s professional life. These 5 steps to interview success will help build confidence in your interviewing skills. Bad interviews happen, don’t let it get you down, the more interviews you do the easier it will get.