Before the day of a big job interview everybody wonders what can they do to nail it, and with chapter 4 "Sixteen Tips About Interviewing for a Job" there is a good chance that you can walk in to the employers office feeling confident. After reading the chapter, I came up with a few short tips that I found to be the most relevant from my standard point of view:
Tip #2.- AN INTERVIEW SHOULD BE PREPARED FOR, BEFORE YOU EVER GO: This means that your first step after being invited to a job interview is to google the company and find out what they do in the "About Us" page. After you know what they do, prepare yourself by analyzing your strongest skills that you believe the employer is looking for on the person who can fill the job position.
Tip #4.- AN INTERVIEW FOR A JOB IS A LOT LIKE DATING: It all comes down to "do I like you?".Do not think for a minute that the only person allowed to ask that question is the employer, because after all, you are looking for a job that you will feel comfortable in years to come. Exactly like dating...
Tip #5.- QUESTIONS TO EXPECT FROM THEM, THEN QUESTIONS YOU CAN ASK: This one caught my mind, mainly because I have experienced it and can put you through HELL if you don't know how to answer it. Most of the times, the first question they ask is "Tell me about yourself"... and God as my witness, I hate that question. The only thing to do here is to take 15 minutes of your time before attending to the interview, sit down with a pencil and paper, and write down what you think about yourself, professionaly-speaking. After you have come up with a short but clear answer, now it is time to memorize it. This is the only perfect way to nail that question. But, what can I ask? Something that it can catch the employer's attention that demonstrate your involvement for the job position: "What do you seek in a person who holds the postion?" or something similar to that. That way, you are letting them know that you are very interested in them.
Tip #7.- THE TWENTY-SECOND TO TWO-MINUTE RULE: Even if you are an introvert or a never-in-silence extrovert, it is highly recomended that the answer to their question stay in between 20 seconds and two minutes.
Tip #16.- THANK YOU NOTES MUST BE SENT AFTER EVERY INTERVIEW: It is as simple as it sounds like, ignored by most of job-hunters out there, and as succesfull as ever. It shows courtesy and respect, and it will be a plus that can help you get a second interview. You don't believe it? Last month, my girlfriend was about to head for a job interview when I came up with the last tip before she left. I mentioned it to her and she was skeptical. After the interview, she decided to send a thank you note, and wished for the best outcome of a situation that she felt there was a low chance on getting a second interview. Long story short, after 3 weeks of suspense, she recieved another call from the employer saying that they had received the thank you note and that they wanted her to come back for a second interview. It is like you'd have never thought it could work, but it does.
Going to job interviews can be very stressful, therefore you want to be ready for the best. Chapter 4 of the book is a set of rules on how to make you confident in front of any employer from any company. Best of luck!
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