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Preparing for a Job Interview
This article will focus on general tips you can implement to ensure you'll receive a job offer, including how to write your resume, making eye contact, how to leverage the job description, and how to appropriately use a note pad.
Cater Your Resume to the Open Position
Your resume should be a flexible document. That means that you shouldn't be afraid to change the contents of the resume to suit the open position. In fact, I highly recommend that you tweak the wording whenever you are applying for a new position. That doesn't mean that you rewrite the resume completely, but just enough to make the interviewer believe you wrote the resume for their specific position.
Interview Etiquette Calls for Appropriate Eye Contact
When you answer interview questions, occasionally look into the interviewer's eyes. I say occasionally because if you stare too long the meeting will become uncomfortable. The best approach is look into the eyes and at other times look at other parts of the face. But whatever you do, don't look down! That's a sign of insecurity.
Read through the Job Description for Possible Interview Questions
Job descriptions are a gold mine for culling actual interview questions that may be asked during an interview. For example, if the job posting mentions management, you can expect a supervision interview question or two.
So prepare interview stories ahead of time and ask a friend to role play with
you to go practice significant accomplishments and pertinent
skills. Your employment status will depend on your interview
answers.
Bring
a Note Pad
A note pad
can be useful when you use it right. Before you whip out your
pen and paper, ask the interviewer whether he or she minds
that you take notes. Otherwise your note taking can be
construed as rude by your potential employer.
Also, before you bring a note pad, consider the type of
company you are interviewing with. Is the company an / or the
job conservative? If so, consider using an interview note pad.
Or is the company and / or position free flowing? If so, scrap
the note pad idea.
Use the note pad as a positive influence during the job
searching process. Don't use it as a crutch so you can avoid
eye contact throughout the interview. In addition, if you have
a tendency to fiddle or doodle with pens, a note pad may not
be the best idea. Anything that's a distraction during the
interview should be avoided.
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