Preparing for job interviews

Here are some things you can do to prepare:

Develop a two-minute commercial
Develop a two-minute “commercial.” Prepare yourself so that when someone asks you to tell him or her about yourself or what you are looking for, your thoughts are organized and you can clearly articulate exactly what you want to say. Many job seekers fail to think ahead about how they will answer these questions, which inevitably come up. Although your answer may vary slightly depending upon the job you are applying for, you need to be ready. You might even want to write down your answer, memorize it and practice until it becomes second nature. Keep it light-heared, but don’t turn it into a two-minute comedy routine.  Cover important past work experience that relates to the job you are applying for.  Include a bit of personal information to help the listener relate to you, but don’t make it all about your private life.

Practice with your mentor  or someone you trust
Find someone whose honest assessment you trust and ask them if you can practice your interview skills with them.  Ask them to give you honest feedback and help you figure out how to make your interview skills stronger. By practicing, you’ll not only help to overcome your nerves, but you’ll get a chance to figure out how to keep your answers concise and on topic. There are plenty of online resources that list practice interview questions that you can have them ask you. Go through this process several times until you feel comfortable.

Organize your wardrobe
Organize your wardrobe and decide ahead of time what you plan to wear for first, second and third interviews. Wash or have dry-cleaned anything that isn’t clean or that would benefit from a freshening up. Purchase what you need to supplement if needed. You might want to use 3x5 cards to record what you wore to each interview with the same company. You don’t want a prospective employer to think that you only have one set of clothing. Your appearance is as important as anything you could say during the interview. First impressions are lasting impressions so make sure you’re making the right ones.  When choosing what to wear, take into consideration the type of job you are interviewing for. Dress appropriately and keep in mind that you’d rather be remembered by your potential employers for who you are, not what you wore.