Preparing For the Dreaded Interview

After sending out what feels like a million resumes, you finally land an interview! You are excited yet nervous because you don't want to blow the interview. For some, interviewing may come easier than others, but if you are prepared and have confidence in yourself, the interview will turn out just fine. The following are a few suggestions that you might want to consider before heading to your interview:

1. Before every interview you should review your resume to ensure that you remember everything that you have on the resume. You can easily forget tasks you do every day that may be important to the employer but seem less important to you because it has become second nature to you. After reviewing your resume try to decipher what skills you use to do the work related tasks. Review the list of skills and talents a couple of times so you know them well, but not in a way that you have them memorized.
2. Do your homework on the company your will be interviewing with! Most companies either have a website of their own or have related articles on them on the internet. By dong this research you are able to ask intelligent questions about the company as well as about the position you are interviewing for. Therefore setting the stage that you are interested in the company.
3. Not only is being prepared for an interview verbally important, but appearance is equally important. Always come to an interview well groomed and appropriately dressed. Most employers would prefer for men to wear a suit. However, if the environment is casual an ironed pair of dress pants and a pressed shirt/blouse would be appropriate.
4. Be on time! Know where you are going so you don't arrive late to your interview. It has always impressed me to know that candidates I interview will take the extra time to go the company they are interviewing beforehand to ensure they don't get lost.
The above are only a few suggestions that may help prepare you for your interview. There are books and publications that go into more detail regarding the do's and don't about interviewing and how to get the job.