Today’s job marketplace is hyper-competitive. There can be dozens or even hundreds of people vying for one quality position. If you want to land that dream job, you will need to know some specific tips that will keep you head and shoulders above the rest of the pack. Interviewing for a job is not most people’s favorite situation. In effect, an interview is where one is evaluated by an employer. In many cases, in order to land that job, you can’t crack under the pressure, you have to be strong and sell yourself. Here are some tips to remember for the next time you interview.

So, you are looking for a job, have sent in your resume and finally have been called in to interview for the position. The good news is that your chances of landing the job have just gone up; the bad news is that you are not through the woods yet. While being called for an interview reduces the amount of people that you are in competition with, it also raises the stakes as well. Where maybe a hundred people send in a resume for a job, an interview usually thins the competition to about 3 to 10 applicants. If you really want to land the job, here are some things to keep in mind.

Be Prepared

Being prepared cannot be emphasized enough. Preparation is essential to doing well on an interview and landing a job. You don’t want to come off to your interviewer as if you just stepped off the street. Preparation can come in many different forms; the most apparent ones are discussed below.

Know about the company – interviewers want to see that you don’t just want a job, but want to work for their company.

Be prepared to talk about yourself - make sure you are ready to talk about yourself. This is an interview, so if you don’t want to talk about your past, future goals or your skill set, don’t bother showing up.

Be prepared to ask smart questions – interviews are not interrogations. There should be a back and forth of communication and ideas. You should not only be answering questions, but asking intelligent questions. Before arriving for the interview memorize or write down a few questions that interest you.

First Impressions

Once you are called in for an interview, you will need to sell yourself in a short period of time to someone that you have never met before. Human resource recruiters are quite skilled at interviewing and judging others. There are winning candidates and candidates that are total losers. Your mission is to come off as a winner. You should show yourself in a good light and present yourself as an excellent candidate. Here are some tips on making a great first impression.

Show up on time – One of the worst things that you can do is show up late to an interview. A late interviewer tells the recruiter that you don’t take the job seriously, you are not punctual and are unmotivated to find a new job. If you are running late or are experiencing traffic or an unforeseen event, call ahead. 9 out of 10 times calling ahead will not put any negative consequences on your chances of employment.

Dress to impress – One of the most important pieces to the puzzle of making a good first impression is to dress to impress. Dressing well for an interview means that you are wearing smart business attire and well groomed. This shows that you care how you look, have confidence and will be a good representative for the company if you are hired. During the summer months, many job applicants sometimes dress down. Dressing down can only hurt your chances of landing a job. Always dress appropriately. If you have the slightest doubts about an outfit, choose another outfit to wear.

Be confident – It is imperative that you show confidence when you show up for your interview. No one is impressed by someone who is very meek or extremely shy. You don’t have to be obnoxious or act super cool, but be the best that you can be.

Greet the recruiter properly – believe it or not, the way you greet the recruiter matters. A nice proper hello with a smile and a decent handshake will do the trick. Never frown, look down or look away when meeting someone. Also, it is good to stand up and show interest. The recruiter is a person and it is not only what you say that matters, but also how you make the other person feel.

During the Interview

Now that you are done with the meet and greet and have given the recruiter a good first impression of yourself the interview now begins. Some applicants freeze up and get very self-conscious. No one likes being judged and while the interview process is exactly this, there are ways to avoid the common pitfalls and instead shine during the interview process.

Be prepared – Make sure you have done your homework and are well prepared for the interview. This means that you should have researched the company beforehand, understood their products or services and know a few interesting facts about the company. What you want to convey to the employer is that you are genuinely interested in working for this company. Anyone can find a job, but human resource recruiters want to hire people who genuinely want to work for their firm.

Answer questions clearly and completely – Obviously, the interview process involves the job recruiter asking you questions. It is very important that you answer these questions clearly and be thorough with your answers. It is extremely easy to tell when someone is lying, so be honest and forthcoming. Many questions that recruiters ask are obvious questions and are quite common. You can easily prepare beforehand for many of these obvious questions. Some of the most common questions that asked by recruiters are:

• What are your strengths and weaknesses?
• Why do you want to work for this organization?
• Why are you leaving your current or last position?
• What would you like to achieve at your new position if hired?
• Do you work well with others or prefer to work on your own?
• What are your successes and failures?
• What kind of salary range are your looking to be in?
• What are your credentials (Education, special training, etc)
• Do you have any hobbies?

Ask Questions During the Interview

Try to think of the interview as a conversation instead of an interrogation. Many job applicants receive high marks by the recruiter if they ask insightful and intelligent questions. You should be very engaging in the interview. This shows the recruiter that you are genuinely interested in the position. While questions are good, make sure they are intelligent; asking questions just for sake of asking is a waste of time for both you and the recruiter. Some of the questions you might want to ask an interviewer are:

• What are you looking for in an employee?
• What is the reason for the open position (is it due to growth or turnover)?
• Could you describe some of the challenges this position offers?
• Could you describe the working environment, work culture, etc?
• Could you describe some of the benefits of working for your company?
• When will the job be available (are you looking to hire someone as soon as possible or in the next few months)?

After the Interview

Once the interview is complete, it is wise to do a couple of things. You should write the recruiter a thank you letter and follow up with the recruiter. These days, a job applicant might have to go through 3 interviews to land a job. It is important to stay on the recruiter’s radar as being a high quality applicant. Many times, after an interview is over the recruiter will state that if they are interested they will give you a call, other times they will try to schedule you for a second interview.

If a recruiter doesn’t give you a definite vote of confidence once the interview is over, it doesn’t mean that you didn’t do well or you aren’t a good applicant. Many times, there are other things working in the background. Some departments wait to the last possible moment to fill positions, other times a key executive who gives the green light to hire might be out of the office. If you are not hired, don’t consider yourself a failure. There are plenty more jobs out in the marketplace.

More Guides on How to Interview

• How to Interview