Job Interview: Tips to Follow to Get That Job

The job interview is your opportunity to get the job of your dreams. The hiring manager uses a job interview to gauge your professionalism and fit for the job. Before you go into a job interview, there are a few things you should do.

Video: Interviews are designed to assess a few key areas

Research Your Job

Before you interview, you should have an idea of what the job entails. Start by reviewing the job listing. Read through it and make sure you have an understanding of each of the duties. Then, think about your previous work experience and how it will enable you to complete the job you’re interviewing for. You should also do some research on the company you’re interviewing with. Look over their website, particularly the “About Us” and “News” sections to understand the basis of the company and the latest developments.

job interview

Create Your Resume

Your resume is usually gives an employer its first impression of you. It should convince the employer to ask you for an interview and to eventually hire you. You want to create a professional image of yourself and convince the hiring manager that you’re the best person for the job. To do that, include this information in your resume:

Name
Address
Phone Number
Email Address (only a professional sounding email should be used)
Education
Job History
Job Duties
Honors and Awards

Experts disagree on whether an objective should be listed on the resume or not. If you choose to put an objective on your resume make sure it’s specific, meaningful, and describes what you can do for the company, not what you want the company to do for you.

A bad objective, for example: “To obtain a position that utilizes my impeccable accounting skills and leverages my extensive experience.” A better objective: “To find a sales position where my 10 years of experience will increase sales volume.”

Five Things to Leave off Your Resume

Your resume is your effort at putting your best foot forward, so naturally, there are some things you don’t want to include:

Irrelevant information like hobbies and interests
Unprofessional language
The reason you left a position
Your high school education (if you went to college)
Information about your religion, gender, sexual preference, or political party

Appear Confident Not Arrogant

You want to sound confident during your interview, but you don’t want to sound so sure of yourself that you come off as arrogant. Talk about your accomplishments and achievements while recognizing contributions of others, but highlighting the things you did. Talk about what you did and how it benefitted the company. Be careful not to brag.

10 Things Interviewers Look For

When you’re on the interview, here are some qualities you should highlight to impress the interviewer.

Dependability.
Organization.
Stable work history.
Intelligence.
Goal-Oriented.
Focused.
Willingness to learn.
Knowledgeable about the company.
Good communicator.
Good personality.

10 Things Interviewers Don’t Want to See

Some qualities will hurt your chances at getting the job. While you don’t want to lie about having these skills if you truly don’t, try to play up your strengths and don’t make excuses for the qualities you don’t have.

Unstable work history.
Habitually late. (Show up on time for the interview!)
Dishonest.
Unreliable.
No transportation.
Conflicting obligations.
Lazy.
Doesn’t work well with others.
Never takes initiative.
No previous experience (unless you’re a recent graduate).

Video: How to write a resume

Make sure you’re familiar with your resume and previous experience. Know what you contributed to your previous jobs and the value you can provide your prospective employer. Be prepared to answer tough questions like, “Tell me about your weaknesses.” No matter what, don’t say anything that will hurt your chances of getting the job. The Equal Employment Opportunity Act prohibits interviewers are prohibited from asking discriminatory questions. Turn the focus back to the job interview if you’re asked any.

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