INTERVIEW TIPS - TOP 5

Interview Tip #1. Don't get overly nervous. Most people that interview you are not professional job interviewers. They typically don't just interview for a living, so by being nervous you will not help the situation. Try to relax, visualize how the interview will go before hand, and remember the interviewer on the other side of the desk is just another person like you; so be professional, but also be yourself. Keep in mind, if you get the job, the company will find out who the real you is within a short period of time,, so pretending to be something that you are not is likely to create problems down the road.

Interview Tip #2. Be well prepared. Get information on the company. Know the company and people you will be meeting with before hand. You can never be too prepared for a job interview. The Company's website or http://www.Hoovers.com are great resources.

Interview Tip #3. Know the types of interview questions you will be asked. While it is impossible to predict what an interviewer will ask you, the basic idea you should remember in answering interview questions is: Why you are good for the job. Remember even if you are not interviewing for a sales job, you need to still sell yourself. No one knows you better than you, so be sure to sell yourself.

Interview Tip #4. Expect to be asked the interview question: Tell me a little about yourself? This is probably one of the most popular questions of all interviewers. The difficulty in answering this question is you never know what the interviewer is looking for. Do they want you to tell them about your educational background, your present job, your last job, etc. You can get yourself in trouble here, by just rambling on and on, rather than answering the question with what they are looking for.

Remember a few moments ago I mentioned that most interviewers are not trained in interviewing? Well they sometimes don't realize the trap they are setting when asking this interview question. So the best response you can give is: "Sure I'd love to, where would you like me to start?" Doing this will actually allow you to take control of the interview, and give the interviewer the information that they are truely seeking.

Interview Tip #5. Avoid being negative about your previous companies, jobs, or bosses. This is a big trap that most people fall into. Instead, talk about things you learned, opportunities you had and contributions you made. If you speak negatively about past employers, the interviewer is likely to wonder, was it the employer who was bad, or you? Don't fall into this trap.