Communication is always a two-way street. In order to be responsive to interviewers’
needs, you must know how to listen and listen well. To improve your listening skills:

1. Focus your attention on what the interviewer is saying. If your mind starts to wander,
consciously force yourself to listen for the content, even if the interviewer’s intonation
is boring or the questions are phrased in a rambling manner.

2. Respond with appropriate nonverbal cues. Smile or nod your head in agreement
when appropriate. Conversely, don’t roll your eyes, clench your fists, or grimace at
the interviewer’s words.

3. Resist the impulse to interrupt.

4. Listen non-defensively. Do not be judgmental or critical of what you hear. This will
only prevent you from truly understanding what the interviewer is saying.

5. Don’t get distracted by trivial things that don’t really matter, like the interviewer’s
appearance, accent, lisp, or lipsmacking. Respond to what is being said rather than
how it is being communicated. Not everyone is a great communicator.

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1. Do dress for respect—conservatively and professionally.

2. Don’t sit passively in your seat and wait for the interviewer to do all of the work.

3. Do make small talk and try to find areas of common interest with interviewers, who
are—believe it or not—people, too.

4. Don’t look as if you are facing a firing squad. Smile and try to relax.

5. Do make sure to research the organization before the interview. This shows interviewers
that you are genuinely interested in them.

6. Don’t be late. This makes a terrible first impression. Instead, make sure that you
have proper directions and leave plenty of time (in case traffic is bad, the bus is
late, or you get lost).

7. Do bring extra copies of your resume in case the interviewer forgets or misplaces
your original copy.

8. Don’t call the interviewer by his or her first name unless they specifically instruct
you to do so.

9. Do remember the interviewer’s name and use it periodically throughout the interview.

10. Don’t dominate the conversation. Your answers should always be succinct, direct,
and well articulated.

11. Do learn to listen attentively and show genuine interest and enthusiasm. Remember,
employers want people who care.

12. Don’t deliver answers to interview questions as if you were making a speech.
Although you should prepare responses to typical questions in advance, your delivery
should sound sincere and unrehearsed. Remember: Make conversation, not presentations.

13. Do ask intelligent questions. Ask about job responsibilities, company goals, and
other related topics.

14. Don’t initiate conversations about money or benefits until you have a job offer.
After you have received an offer, you have a lot more negotiating power.

15. Do present a confident self-image that offsets any concerns that you may be hiding
something or have skeletons in your professional closet.

16. Don’t lie or get defensive. Try to frame negative situations as positively as possible
(in terms of a “mismatch,” “different styles,” or what you learned) without speaking
badly about past employers or colleagues.

17. Do answer the questions fully and punctuate your answers with good stories that
illustrate your competencies and style.

18. Don’t beat yourself up for making mistakes. It’s part of the process. The important
thing is that you learn from those mistakes so that you don’t repeat them in future
interviews.

19. Do follow up. If you agreed to provide references or additional information, make
sure that you deliver on your promises.

20. Don’t forget to send a thank-you note either by e-mail or snail mail. In your letter,
reassert your interest and qualifications.

21. Do continue to conduct your job search and look for additional opportunities. As
Yogi Berra is famous for saying, “It ain’t over till it’s over.”

22. Don’t sit around waiting for the interviewer to call you. If you don’t hear from them
within a week after your interview, make sure that you check in to see where they
(and you) are in the process.

23. Do remember that “no” doesn’t always mean forever. Although you may not always
get a job offer, if you stay on cordial terms with the people who interview you, you
may end up hearing from them again.

24. Never burn bridges. However disappointed or rejected you may feel, try your best
not to take it personally. Make sure that the interviewer knows that you enjoyed
meeting them and are still interested in future possibilities.

25. Do move on. There are many, many fish in the sea of jobs—your challenge is to is
to spot them and catch them.

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You never get a second chance to make a first impression, which means that you have to
do everything in your power to make that first impression a good one.

1. Dress for success. An interview is a formal employment occasion. Treat it accordingly
and wear your best suit or dress.

2. Your handshake is as important as your resume. It has to be strong, confident, and
assertive.

3. Your energy level communicates interest and enthusiasm. Get plenty of sleep and
make sure that you are alert and ready to engage the interviewer.

4. Posture also communicates energy. Sit up straight and look like you’re alive, please.

5. A smile is worth a thousand words. It says “It’s nice to meet you and I’m happy to
be here.”

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When it comes to job interviewing, winging it is not an option. To find—and get—the
best position, you must prepare often and well.

✔ Determine your marketable skills. These include technical qualifications, general
liberal-arts skills (analytical, communication, problem solving), and character traits
(honesty, trustworthiness, dependability)

✔ Develop a selling strategy to persuade employers that you have the right stuff to do
the job.

✔ Learn to tell stories. Review your work experience and be prepared to give examples
that demonstrate your skills and qualifications.

✔ Anticipate tough questions. For better or worse, employers can be cynical and suspicious
that candidates are trying to fool them with lies and half-truths.
Recognizing the potential stumbling blocks in your history will enable you to anticipate
and strategize effective ways of overcoming these obstacles.

✔ Research the company/organization. To understand the needs and values of potential
employers, tap into your own network and go online to find out whatever you
can about the company and the kind of person they are most likely to be looking for.

✔ Deal with sensitive information sensitively. After you gain insight into an organization’s challenges and liabilities, you need to deal with that information tactfully.
Like individuals, organizations have emotional sore spots that, if pointed out in the
wrong way, can make people defensive.

✔ Organize. As part of your interview preparation, you will also need to handle logistical
matters. By managing issues of time and place well, you create an impression
of competence and professionalism.

✔ Negotiate. As you and your future employer explore the question of “fit,” you may
be asked to discuss compensation. Although it’s best to postpone salary discussions
until you have an offer, you must be prepared to handle the question whenever it
surfaces in the process.

✔ Practice makes perfect. Great interviewing skills are not learned overnight. To be
effective in job interviews, you need to develop a practice-and-perfection mentality.
This means learning from your mistakes, revisiting your communications strategy,
and improving your responses.

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Every year, hundreds of millions of dollars are wasted because candidates are hired for
positions they aren’t qualified for, while others are turned down for jobs that they are
more qualified to fill. To make sure that you don’t become one of these workplace casualties,
you need to take the time to understand what employers are looking for.

1. Shared values

Companies often espouse a particular set of values and ideals. Review their mission
statement to determine what those values and ideals are.

2. Commitment

Most employers are fearful of job hoppers. Although it’s no longer expected that
employees will spend their entire careers in one place, employers do want to know
that you are going to do more than collect a paycheck and use them as a stepping
stone in your career ladder.

3. Energy and enthusiasm

Employers are impressed with candidates who have the desire, enthusiasm, and
energy to do the work they are hired to do—and more.

4. An innovative spirit

Many employers are seeking to gain the competitive edge and, in that spirit, are seldom
content with the status quo. Translation: They look for employees who bring a
sense of creativity and innovation to their jobs.

5. Responsiveness

Employers want their people to be responsive to their organizational goals and
needs. It’s good to be able to work independently, but it’s also important to
acknowledge and be comfortable with the reality that you work for them.

6. Accountability

The buck has to stop somewhere and there are times when it will stop with you as
the responsible employee. This means that you must be willing to take responsibility
for your mistakes and be willing to be accountable to the people you work for and
with.

7. Team players

Many employers want team players who can work collaboratively more than they
want individual stars. In a technologically advanced, highly competitive workplace,
they look to hire people who can work together effectively.

8. Compatibility

Managers prefer to hire employees who will improve their own standing in the
organization. Demonstrate that you can look good and they’ll race to hire you for
their team.

9. Communication skills

The ability to communicate—both verbally and in writing—is an essential skill set
in every industry and profession.

10. Style

Employers also evaluate how an individual’s work style fits in with their organizational
culture. If there’s a match, this can be an important factor in the hiring
process.

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