Job Interviews are an incredibly daunting and necessary part of the employment world. Aside from your resume, a job interview is the only thing standing between you and your dream job. Even if the job or career you’re seeking isn’t exactly your “dream job,” you still need to make money, so it’s important that you impress your potential employer and beat out the competition. In this article I will give you some helpful advice for passing any job interview.
First things first, make sure you know as much as possible about the company you’re applying to work at. Even if you’re just a college kid applying for a job at the mall, you want to convey a desire to work at the establishment you’re applying to. The best way to do this, is by having a lot of knowledge about the company. Employers are impressed when an interviewee already knows what their company is about, top to bottom. Not knowing anything about the company you’re applying to, or what will be expected of you as an employee shows a lack of interest on your part.
Be confident during your job interview. Mentally tell yourself that you are there to get the job, no matter what. Nobody wants to hire someone that is unsure of them self. Your potential employer is looking for someone to work for them, not someone to look after. Make sure that you sit up straight, smile, make eye contact, and act polite. Don’t be afraid to give a firm handshake or tell a joke; these are signs of self assurance. When the person interviewing you asks you a question, give them a thorough and detailed answer. It’s good to be talkative during a job interview as long as you don’t interrupt. Showing that you are not afraid to speak is another sign of confidence. However, don’t act so confident that your interviewer will think you’re after their job.
Know how to answer trick questions. It is very common to be asked trick questions during a job interview. In fact, job interviews are notorious for trick questions. You’ve probably heard them before. They’re usually something like, “Tell me a little bit about your weaknesses.” or “What did you hate most about your last job?” These questions are intended to trick you into revealing your flaws. It is not uncommon for trick questions to start popping up towards the end of a job interview. The reason for this, is because that is when you will be the most relaxed and willing to divulge negative information about yourself. When asked a trick question, think of a clever way to answer it without actually making yourself look bad. It would probably be a good idea to prepare a list of answers to commonly asked trick questions like the ones I mentioned.
Make sure you dress well. No matter what type of job you are interviewing for, you should always dress your best. Even if it is a blue collar job, where something nice. Dressing well for a job interview is all about showing that you care and that you take pride in yourself. This should be common sense, but I have seen many people go to job interviews in jeans and a t-shirt. For every person wearing jeans and a t-shirt to an interview, there will always be another person there in a suit.
After your job interview is over, later that same day you should send them a thank you email. Don’t wait until the next day or the day after. This isn’t like asking someone out on a date. If you wait too long to follow up a job interview, someone else may have already beaten you to it and got the job. If you haven’t heard anything after a week, you should call them. It is not uncommon for an employer to offer the job to someone, but then that person doesn’t show or declines the offer. When it comes to securing a job, being the runner up is never a bad thing. It is never to late to follow up on a job interview. I once had a company call me three-months after my interview to offer me a position.
