Interview Tips

Tips for putting your best foot forward when interviewing.

Sell Yourself!

How to sell yourself in an interview
Sell yourself! Learn as much as possible about the position, the company, and the interviewers themselves. The more detailed information you have about the company and the position, the better prepared and more interested you appear. If you are interviewing with a publicly traded company, go to sites on the web (like Hoovers) that give specific information about the company (Officers, Annual Reports, 10-K’s, 10-Q’s, etc.), and visit the company’s web site.

Employers want someone who wants to work for them. Demonstrate this by:

1. PREPARING QUESTIONS. No matter how thorough the employer is in the interview, you must ask questions. This demonstrates your interest, and your thinking ability. Also, by asking the right type of question it also helps you sell yourself in the interview. You can only ask a knowledgeable question if you are knowledgeable about the topic.

2. BY ASKING, “WHAT IS THE NEXT STEP?”, is one example of telling the employer you are intrigued by the interview and expresses your interest in moving forward in the process. If you want to be more bold, then tell the interviewer specifically that you are very interested or excited about this opportunity, that you are very confident about how you believe your background fits with what they are looking for, and that you would like to go to the next step. Following saying this, if you feel it is appropriate to ask a closing question, you might ask one like “LET ME ASK YOU, HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT ME AS A FIT FOR THIS POSITION”, or “DO YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS ABOUT MY ABILITY TO DO THIS JOB?”

3. EMPHASIZING AREAS OF YOUR BACKGROUND. Talk in terms of specific examples or accomplishments when presenting your background. Make sure you are relating how your skills, abilities, and accomplishments “relate” to the job you are interviewing for. Remember, you are the only one in the room selling yourself for this position.

Interview Questions

Commonly Asked Questions
Below is a list of commonly asked questions in an interview. Consider carefully how you would answer:

  1. Why are you willing to leave your current employer?
  2. What do you know about this position and our company?
  3. Why are you interested in this job or in our company?
  4. What are your short-term and long-term career goals?
  5. What kind of working relationship do you and your current supervisor have?
  6. What are your strengths?
  7. What are your weaknesses?
  8. What are you currently looking for in salary? Why?
  9. What information is important to you in making a decision about this job change?
  10. When would you be available to start work?