Tips on Interviewing for a Job

With hundreds of thousands of jobs being cut this year, many of you may find yourself out of work. For many of you it may have been years since you have had to apply for a job. While being out of the job searching club for a while you may have forgotten some of the basic interviewing skills needed to land your job.

Improving your interviewing skills to get a job is important. Read on to find out some of the key interview skills to get the job.

It doesn't matter if you are interviewing for an entry level position, interviewing for management, or interviewing for a multi-million dollar salary job. You still have to know the basic job interview skills to get a job. You have to stand out, but, you have to stand out for the right reasons.

Be Prepared

Prep yourself for the interview process. It may sound absurd, but, playing the interview out in your head may help you when you are actually sitting across the desk from your potential future boss. Practice in the mirror, go over your skills in your mind, and jot them down to help memorize them if you need to.

Lay out the clothes you are going to wear to the job interview. Decide what you are going to wear to the job interview the night before the interview. If you wait until last minute you may realize that you have a stain on the only nice outfit you own. If you do, preparing for the interview early may provide you enough time to either get the stain out or to go out and purchase a new suit for the interview.

Find the directions to the interview site. Going online to Google Maps or MapQuest to map out the best route to the interview site will be helpful. You don't want to get lost and be late for your job interview. If you are late for your interview you can safely assume you will not be getting the job.

Do Your Research

Knowing as much as you can about the company before the interview will help. Be careful not to come off as arrogant with your wealth of knowledge about the company. Do not rattle off a lot of fact about the company such as when the building was erected or who the 2^nd President of the company was. But, if you can gather some facts about the company that you can incorporate into the interview, the better off you will be. For example, if you learn that the company has recently adopted a more Green approach, you can then relate that to yourself to help give you an edge. For instance, you could say "I understand the company is trying to be more Green, that is great, I have adopted the Green Method in my own home, I have researched how to be more Green and could possibly pass on some of my knowledge to the company." Make sure you can back up your facts and promises though. Imagine your surprise if the interviewer returns by asking you "such as?" and you, in fact, don't have a clue about being Green. Never lie, just embellish a little.

Be Yourself, Just Not Completely Yourself

It is best to be relaxed when in an interview. You want to showcase your awesome personality, but, you don't want to ask your potential future boss for their MySpace i.d. Be yourself. Be kind. Be courteous. Be friendly. Just don't overdo it. You want to come off as a personable person, but, to come off to much as a friendster could potentially dampen your chances of getting the job. You need to prove your business sense, while still maintaining your true self. Stiff and boring applicants are just as less likely to get the job as perky and talkative applicants. Try to strike a nice balance between business professional and average Joe.

Never Underestimate Yourself

If the interviewer asks you about a skill that you do not know how to do, do not lie and say you cannot do it. On the other hand, you also don't want to quickly say 'no' you can't do it. If possible, mention that you have heard of it, know a little about the subject, but are not comfortable being left alone to pull of the task. You could mention that you are up to the task of learning how to do the certain task and that you are a quick learner. If you are hired and are expected to learn the task, be sure to research the topic as much as possible so that you will learn how to do it efficiently that much quicker.

Learn By Asking Questions

Asking questions does not flag you as being dumb or prove that you haven't been paying attention. In fact, asking questions only proves to the potential employer that you want to know more information and are attempting to prepare yourself for the job at hand. Asking questions provides you with the needed answers and will help you determine if this is the right job for you. Remember, an interview is not just to prove to the employer that you are right for the job, this interview is also to help you determine if you actually want the job. You may find halfway into the interview that this is not the company or line of work that you wish to be involved in. That is ok. I wouldn't recommend walking out mid-interview, but, it is best to find out before you begin working that the company is not the right fit for you.

Quick Hints, Tips, & Tricks

Be kind. Always say yes sir or yes ma'am. Call the interviewer Mr., Mrs., or Miss until you are told to call them otherwise. Don't use slang. Tuck your shirt in. if you are a woman, revealing clothes will not land you the job, in some cases, wearing clothes that are too revealing could actually inhibit you from getting the job. Go easy on the cologne, heavy on the deodorant. Guys make sure you have a clean shave, girls, make sure your hair is nice and neat.

Remember to thank the interviewer for their time and ensure that they have your contact numbers or email address. Always be sure to leave your main phone as well as a message phone number as a backup.

Call back within in a few days to check the status of the hiring process. This is only allowable if the interviewer did not specify when they would call you back if you were hired. If the interviewer said they would get back to you by Monday, you can call on Wednesday. If the interviewer did not give you a specified time, you should wait no more than 3 days before you call to check.