Several Days – One Week Before the Interview

1. Spend some time to research the organization and the position at hand. To find company-specific information, visit your local library, run a search on the internet, or talk to current or former employees about their experiences and impressions of the company. Study up on the company’s products and services, industry, target market, annual sales, geographic location(s), structure, history, officers, and any other key information. Are there any new trends in the industry?

2. Identify the organization’s major competitors and do some basic research on how they differ (either positively or negatively) from the company at which you are interviewing.

3. Prepare specific examples of how your skills and experience make you a strong fit for the organization’s needs. Practice answering directed questions about your experience, education, and skills and how they relate to the position at hand. Being prepared to draw colorations between your experience and the needs of the organization is one of the most important interviewing skills you will need.

4. Identify your strengths and weaknesses. Be prepared to talk about your weaknesses, but find a way to frame them positively. For example, my biggest weakness is that I am a perfectionist. It may take me a little extra time to get a project done to my satisfaction, but you can be guaranteed that the work will pass even the most stringent review, be 100% accurate, and that no detail will be overlooked.

5. Prepare several intelligent questions about the company and position that will demonstrate your knowledge of the company and your sincere interest in the position.

6. Try on your suit and make sure that it is still well-fitting and in good repair. If necessary, make arrangements to have it altered or find alternate dress.

The Day before the Interview

1. Contact the company to confirm the date and time of your interview. Also confirm the name and title of the individual(s) you will be meeting.

2. Get directions to the interview site. Be sure to double check the directions using a map. This will ensure that you know the way and also give you an approximate travel time  Don’t forget to allow for extra time for rush hour!

3. Lay out your entire interview outfit. Check it for any spot, wrinkles, or snags.

4. Print off a few extra copies of your resume and cover letter on nice paper. Even if the interviewer has a copy of their own, it’s always a good idea to have a backup copy. This is also helpful if you end up interviewing with multiple individuals, since the head interviewer may be the only person with a copy of your resume.

Get a good night’s sleep!

1. Your brain needs fuel to run at peak performance and if there is ever a day you needed 110% from your brain, it’s today. So don’t skimp on meals. Be cautious about eating large amounts of carbohydrates right before your interview though, since carbs are know to cause sluggishness and may lead to a post-lunch nap time.

2. Get dressed early so you do not feel pressured to dash out the door. Pay attention to the details (brush off any lint, comb your hair, brush your teeth, use deodorant, etc.) and remember that a first impression can reveal a lot about you and your character.

3. Don’t forget to take copies of your resume, your cover letter, and your portfolio if you have one.

4. Leave yourself plenty of time to get to your interview. If you arrive more than 15 minutes early, it’s best to wait in the car or outside the building. Arriving too early gives off the impression that you have a lot riding on the interview (and have nothing better to do with your time), and also pressures the interviewer(s) into feeling that they have to adjust their schedule to accommodate you.

5.Smile and shake everyone’s hand when you are meeting for the first time – you should also smile and shake hands when the interview concludes.

6. Relax! If you have done your homework you are well-prepared for the interview. Take a deep breath and spend a moment collecting your thoughts if you need to when being asked a question. Ask confused about a particular question you are asked, don’t hesitate to ask for clarification.

After the Interview

Write a quick Thank You message to the individual(s) who interviewed you.

Author’s Biography:

Laura Adams is a qualified careers advisor with 11 years experience. Nurses Jobs Information – Resources, News, Tips and Views to help Nurses find their dream jobs. http://www.Nurses-Jobs.info

Looking for a new job is one of the most frustrating things that you will ever have to do your lifetime. Slogging from place to place and interview to interview can get so tiring and it literally wears on the soul. The interview process is one that needs to be prepared for and you can do some simple preparation with a little help from some job interview tips from www.theperfectinterview.com. If you prepare for each interview that you go on you will find that things can go a lot smoother than you are used to.

There are all kinds of interview tips out there and finding them has never been easier. There are hundreds of websites that are focused on giving you all of the job interview tips that you will ever need to have a successful and long lasting career.

The following is a list of some of the basic job interview tips you need to take into consideration when you go out on your next interview:

Dress for success
This is essential to your getting the position. You should never, I repeat never go into and interview wearing jeans. This is one of the most simple and important interview tips that you will ever get so write it down! You want to go into every interview looking your best. Wear clothes that make you look like a professional, someone who takes this opportunity seriously and you will be way ahead of the game. Keep in mind that first impressions are everything.

Ask questions of the person interviewing you
This is another of those priceless interview tips. By asking questions of the interviewer you are not only showing that you know how to pay attention to others but you are also showing a definite interest in what is being said and in the company itself.

Avoid sounding rehearsed
This may not sound like the easiest of all the job interview tips to follow but it is an important one. If you sound stilted and like you have memorized every word and every answer that comes out of your mouth the interviewer is not going to think much of you. Next time when you are studying all of your interview tips and you are looking at the probable questions memorize by concept rather than word for word, just know the gist of what you want to get across. Have bullet points in your head memorized instead of a speech and then when the question does come you can elaborate on these points. You will sound much smoother and more professional this way.

There are thousands of job interview tips out there for you and all you have to do is log onto the Internet to find them. A great source for job hunters that want to polish up their interview skills is www.theperfectinterview.com. Here you will find tons of job interview tips that you can use on any interview that you go on.

Author’s Biography:

This article is courtesy of http://www.theperfectinterview.com.