Take The Stress Out Of Interviewing

Job interviews are considered a necessary evil by many and are certainly a stressful occasion. You can, however, alleviate much of the stress and set yourself apart from the other candidates by being prepared. Proper preparation will allow you to present yourself better and who knows, you may even start to enjoy being interviewed!

The five tips below, if taken to heart and acted upon will probably give you an advantage over about 80% of all job applicants who do little or no preparation for the interview. The more you prepare beforehand, the more confident you'll be going in to the interview, and the more confident you'll appear during the interview.

1. Do a rehearsal. It’s important to have all the facts about yourself properly rehearsed in your mind. Go over what you think might happen in the interview and refine your answers ahead of time. Make sure you have appropriate answers for things such as work experience, education and interests. When you are rehearsing these in your head, try to incorporate why they apply to this jb in particular.

2. Reinforce your job application with real evidence of what you've done in previous jobs. Don't just give a bland one or two word description of your role - elaborate. Give specific descriptions of individual aspects of the work you did. Again, try to emphasize examples of tasks you performed that would make you perfect for the job you've applied for.

3. Be enthusiastic. Don’t just sit there with the “anything that pays the bills” attitude. You need to show them that you are excited about this job opportunity (without going overboard). The interviewer is looking for the perfect candidate to fill the position so if it looks like you are not very interested I doubt they will be making you an offer. Make sure you do your research on the company offering the job and the job role itself so that you give a good impression of your knowledge at the interview.

4. Work out beforehand the kind of skills and qualities you feel you would need to carry out the job you're applying for and think of as many good examples as you can of how you've demonstrated these in your work and private life to date.

5. Dress appropriately and convey the right attitude. Wear an appropriate outfit for the position, but do not overdress. This is your first impression and taking pains with your appearance shows respect for the company, the position and the interviewer. Think about the kind of character qualities and personality qualities you think someone good at the job you've applied for would demonstrate, and try to come across at the interview as having those qualities.