Preparation
It is very important to be well prepared for an interview. According to the University of Delaware's career center, a common reason employers gave for not hiring an applicant, is the inability of the applicant to fully explain the contents of his or her résumé. It is therefore of paramount importance to be able to discuss in detail every item listed on one's resume, and if possible to give examples where appropriate. It is also important to research the company before the interview. To avoid being nervous, practice answering difficult questions. A good source of interview questions can be found by searching the Internet.
How to Get That Next Interview
When it comes right down to it, it is often much easier to get a job interview than it is to do well during that interview in order to actually get the job itself. For most people, the job interview is the hardest part of applying for a job, but it does not have to be that way. With a little bit of help, you can be well on your way to beating out your competition (other applicants) and getting the job you have always wanted.
What you really need to do is get into a mindset of preparing and organizing both yourself and the materials you need to bring with you to a job interview so that you never have to worry about forgetting anything. The more you have it together on the outside, the more calm and collected you will feel on the inside. This confidence that you have everything taken care of is going to show through during the interview process and it is ultimately what will land you the job.
First, think about your past. Not only are you going to have to list your educational background, previous employment experiences, and extracurriculars on your application, but you are probably going to be asked about those verbally in the interview. You do not want to have to use crib notes in order to remember dates and names, so memorize this information so that you can answer questions more easily during the job interview.
When filling out an application, many people give one word answers when it comes to their previous employment duties. This can lead the interviewer to think that you did not take your previous jobs seriously, or did not feel that they were important enough to write about. Give detailed information about your job duties, as if you were proud to have done them. Remember to write in complete sentences - no one word answers.
If the interviewer gives you information about the job you are applying for, you need to show them that you actually want to do the job. The last thing you want to do is give the interviewer the impression that you could not care less whether you get the job, because if that is the case, then you will not get it.
If you are already aware of the duties that you would be performing if you were hired, make a mental note of instances when you have done or mastered those tasks in the past. If you can show the interviewer that you not only know what you need to do the job, but that you have already done it successfully in the past, you will have much better chances of getting the job.
Confidence and ability is not only shown through the spoken word, it is demonstrated through how you look and your body language as well. This means that you could boast all day about your skills, but if you do not look the part, you are not as likely to be taken seriously - especially in a job interview where it counts the most. Take the time to look and dress the part, and it will go a long way toward completing the picture for the interviewer.