Preparing For Job Interviews

A job interview is definitely not on the list of fun things to do, but if you do a good job, you can land that wonderful position you've applied for.  Take some time to go over these tips before the big interview day arrives.

A job interview need not be as challenging as it seems if you go into it prepared and confident.  In fact, preparing for the interview is an important component to the interview's success.

Dress for success.  Unless the interview is for a position at a trendy clothing store, dress conservatively.  Don't arrive in casual attire, even if the position is of a more casual nature.  Tone down your makeup, jewelry, and cologne.  It's best to let your personality be the spotlight here.  If you're not sure what to wear, ask for guidance from someone whose opinion you respect.  Plan ahead so if you need to add to your wardrobe, you have time to do so.

Prepare for the interview.  Practice how you will answer some of the typical interview questions.  If you don't know what the usual interview questions are then find out online or from an interview publication.  Talk to yourself in the mirror if you have to, but practice all you can.  The more prepared you are, the more confident you will feel and the better you will do.  Your confidence will come across in the interview too.

Do your homework.  Research the company and find out as much as you can about them - their philosophy, best practices, future goals, direction headed, current issues and growing pains, etc.  Weave in this information during the interview and they will be impressed that you went the extra mile.  As an example, say you're interviewing for the position of medical billing for an HMO. At the very least, you should know what an HMO is compared to a PPO or traditional insurance.

Be ready for the "weakness" question.  I think it must be an unwritten, but mandatory rule, for interviewers to ask you what your weaknesses are.  The trick is to turn your weakness into a strength.  You can talk about a past weakness and how you've learned from it, or you can say your weakness is always expecting 200% from yourself and not being satisfied with anything less.  Think about the company and position you'll be interviewing for and be ready with an answer beforehand.

Communicate clearly.  You have to sell yourself in an interview, and obviously they're not looking for one or two word answers.  When you give an answer or make a statement, explain what you mean and give examples where applicable.  Now is the time to showcase your accomplishments in your current position and highlight your strengths that could benefit the new company if they were to hire you.