GENERAL TIPS ON INTERVIEWING

The interview is your chance to impress the employer in person and convince the employer you are the best candidate for the job. A bad first impression is very hard to overcome, so here are some tips to help you:

Preparation

• Find out as much as you can about the company and the position you will be interviewing for. Click here to find out how to research a company (link to JS company research page).
• Practice your answers to commonly asked interview questions, such as the ever popular "Tell me about yourself." Practice answering out loud and listen to yourself for a confident and concise answer.

Appearance

• Dress conservatively. Generally speaking, you will be safe with a blue or gray suit for a position in an office environment. For other arenas, dress one to two levels above what you would wear after obtaining the job (i.e. construction worker might wear neat khaki pants with a button-down shirt and tie).

Body Language

• Shake the interviewer's hand firmly.
• Make sure you smile and maintain comfortable eye contact with the interviewer.
• Stand and sit up straight with an attitude of confidence, not cockiness.

Attitude

• Be very positive about your past employers and co-workers. Communicate enthusiasm and optimism in your verbal communication and your body language.

Answering questions:

• Sell yourself tell the interviewer about your qualifications and how you have used them in the past. State a skill and then give an example of how you used that skill to benefit an employer.
• Listen to the questions and make sure you understand what the interviewer is asking before you answer. Keep your answers brief and complete.
• Don't ask about benefits or retirement until after you have been offered the job. Click here for questions to ask (link to last section of this page).

Handling Personal or Illegal Questions:

When asked a personal or illegal question you have three choices:

1. Answer it truthfully.
2. Answer the question with a question.
3. Determine the underlying question and respond to that issue. Remember that each interview is different; you have to determine where the question is coming from to choose the appropriate response. For example, if an employer asks if you have young children, their underlying concern may have to do with your willingness to work evenings or weekends. Sometimes, however, an illegal question is asked simply out of ignorance, with the sole purpose of building rapport.