No matter how many interviews you have been to, we all get a little nervous right before.  Here are a few tips on how smarter workers tackle interviews.

  • Dress Appropriately – Always dress in a suit no matter how relaxed, casual, or trivial you think the job may be.  I don’t care if you are interviewing to be sewer line repair man who is going to climb around in filth.  How you present yourself means a lot.  Every manager, administrator, or director I have ever spoken to has said poor choice of clothing makes a strong impression.  If you don’t dress up, it appears you don’t care enough about the job to do so.
  • Read up on the company – It is a really good idea to read up on the organization you are applying to work for.  You don’t necessarily need to learn their earnings for the last 10 years, but knowing where their HQ is located, a rough idea of what their mission and vision statements cover, and their objectives is a great idea.  This is all information you an easily get on the company website.
  • Practice Interviewing – Take the time to practice interviewing with a friend, family member, or an interview service.  Record your responses and listen to yourself, noting topics you need to work on.
  • Have Confidence – This is something I have struggled with in the past myself.  Don’t get caught up in all of the bad things that could happen.  Have confidence when interviewing.  Remember that you got an interview for a reason, they are obviously already interested in you.  See the interview as a chance to prove how perfect you are for the roll, not a chance for them to find flaws.
  • Say Thank you – Remember to say thank you.  It seems like a little thing to suggest, but so many people forget to do it, and it really makes a difference.
  • Be Early – I almost titled this one “whatever you do, just don’t be late.”  It is better to be at least 10 minutes early.
  • Turn Off your Phone – Turn off your phone, don’t just put it on silent.  We can hear the buzzing 90% of the time.  It may not distract you, but it could distract the interviewers, and that can make them miss an important answer.
  • Don’t bad mouth your Work/Boss – Even if you are leaving your job because you hate it, don’t ever say that to your interviewer.  Complaining about your previous work or boss comes across as petty, and will make the interviewers think “what will they say about me?”