Latest Training Interview Preparation Guide

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Invest some feeling into the handshake and pleasantries, even if you think you bombed the interview. The interviewer should give you a time frame for when to expect to get a callback, if applicable.
★ Hold your head high and keep your cool. Your emotions are probably teetering at the highest of highs or the lowest of lows, but try to stay measured. Project a cool confidence - not cockiness - and walk out of the interview with your head held high.
★ If the interviewer does not tell you when they will contact you if you're a good fit for the position, it's appropriate to ask, "When can I expect to hear back from you about the position?" This will prove important later on.

Try to come off as a genuinely likable person if you can. If you're cynical, pessimistic, and absolutely disabused of any faith in humanity, try to tone it down during the interview. Being personable is about getting the interviewer's emotional side to like you and believe in you. Employers don't always hire the candidates most qualified for the job, but rather the candidates they like the best.

Don't criticize your former employer. When you're talking about your past experience, be courteous about your former places of employment. Be honest about your experience - what you liked and disliked - but don't indict your former boss unnecessarily. Your class and restraint will shine through.

Talk about what other people think you do well. Don't add the preamble, "My friends think I'm a competent social organizer." Just go out and say it with the right touch of confidence and humility. Women tend to underestimate their overall job performance, so be aware of that before you second-guess or undercut yourself, because it's unlikely to get you a job.

Talking about yourself can be very difficult to do well: You're trying to convince someone you don't know that you're qualified for a position without sounding too cocky or pompous. Stick to what you know well, and keep things short and sweet.

Don't use slang or off-color humor during your interview. It's important not to say "awesome" or "rad" during an interview, unless you're interviewing for the local lifeguard position. It's also a good rule to avoid off-color humor; you never know when someone might take offense, and it's best not to risk it.

Structure your answers so that you're talking in 30-90 second chunks. Any less and you're likely to seem unqualified; any more and your interviewer is likely to lose interest in what you're saying. In the "tell me about yourself" question, highlight 2-3 illustrative examples about yourself before wrapping up.

In a pinch, take a cue from politicians. When a politician hears a question they don't like, they simply answer a different question. You don't want to do this all the time, but you can do it in a pinch.

Many people think that an interview is the perfect time to embellish. While you want to structure your answers so that your best, most qualified aspects take center stage, you don't want to deceive or outright lie. Companies do perform background checks, and lying about your experience is simply not worth it.

Don't noodle around on your phone or electronic device while waiting. In fact, leave it in your car. Even though it's practically acceptable, playing around on your phone can communicate boredom and frivolousness (even if that's not the case). Stick with a book or review your notes while waiting.

Look everyone in the eye and smile. Looking people in the eye will telegraph alertness, and smiling will signal friendliness.

Speak clearly and say "please" and "thank you." Make sure the people you talk to during the interview can make out what you're saying. Talking audibly, with good enunciation, tells people you're confident, while good manners tells them you're considerate of other people.

Show courtesy to everyone during the interview. This means everyone from the reception staff to the interviewer herself. You never know who has input in the hiring process, and you can only make a first impression once.

★ If the interview is in the morning, be sure to eat a healthy breakfast. This is not just an empty suggestion. A breakfast high in antioxidants, omega-3 fatty acids, and foods high in vitamin E, such as nuts and seeds, will help improve brain function and leave you feeling more alert and invigorated.
★ Consider exercising before the interview to annihilate stress and increase blood flow. If you're generally nervous or fidgety before an interview, it might be a good idea to work out before your interview. Go hard for an hour, and give your body at least another hour to calm down. Shower after exercising.

Show up in the best possible shape. Make sure you know exactly how to get there and, if you drive, just where to park so that you can arrive 15 to 20 minutes before the scheduled interview time. Go to bed early the day (or the days) before the interview so that you look rested and healthy on the big day. Bring an extra copy of your resume, CV, and/or references in case your interviewer wants to go over any points with you or neglects to bring their own copy.

Dressing professionally means wearing a smart knee-length skirt suit in a dark color, along with sheer, non-patterned hosiery, closed toe shoes and subtle makeup.

Choose a white shirt, dark-colored suit and tie and dark-colored shoes.
★ Applicants in the service sector may sometimes be invited to wear business casual to an interview, although business formal is optional and usually best. For women, this means a simple, knee length dress with conservative shoes (no jeans). For men, this means dark or khaki pants with a collared button-up and leather shoes.
★ If you're unsure of the customary interview clothing expected by the company, simply ask the HR rep or interview liaison. There's no shame in it. There is shame in feeling horribly under-dressed when you show up for an interview.

In any workplace, your wardrobe is a sign of your professionalism and is sometimes used to gauge your level of competence. When your coworkers and customers look at you, they should immediately feel comfortable working with you. It's easy to rule yourself out of a job just because you didn't take care of your appearance. As a rule of thumb, you should dress for the interview the way you would for the job itself. If the job is unusually casual, however, you might want to show up in business-casual clothes, but it's always better to be formal. Both men and women should choose subdued colors (blues, browns, grays, black) which make a professional impression. Make sure that your clothes are lint- and wrinkle-free. Avoid wearing perfume, after-shave, or scented lotion (but do wear deodorant).

Don't be afraid to admit that you don't know something. While you definitely want to seem knowledgeable, don't lie to make it seem like you know something you don't. You probably won't fool your interviewer, and admitting to not knowing something is much more impressive than lying during your interview. If need be, just acknowledge that you do not know the answer but will find out more about it and let them know afterwards.

Straightforward it can throw you for a loop. If you're going into a field you care about, you will have a much easier time answering this. However, if, like many people, you're just trying to make ends meet, you can answer the question by using it as a way of highlighting your skills ("I shine in fast-paced, high-pressure situations and would love to have the opportunity to cultivate my talents here").

Shouldn't be hard to answer provided that you didn't have a major blowout with your previous employer. If you did, be honest (without being bitter or laying blame, as this will make you look ungracious and hard to work with) and try to put a positive spin on things.

Common question that can take you off guard if you don't see it coming. Your panicked reaction might be to blurt out, "Working diligently for you, of course!" but unless you are actually trying to get a job in your chosen career, this probably isn't a good strategy. If you're going after what will clearly be a short-term job - or even one that lasts only several years - be honest about what your greater aspirations are (ex. going back to school, starting your own business); ambition is a very desirable trait in an employee - to say nothing of honesty.

Biggest weakness is a classic canned interview question that many people dread. Answering this question is a bit of a tightrope walk: While you don't want to be too honest ("I have a really hard time staying motivated"), you won't fool anyone by trying to spin an obviously good quality into a weakness ("I just can't bear to do less-than-outstanding work!"). Instead, think of a genuine issue you have as well as ways you have managed to work with/around it ("I'm not naturally a very organized thinker, but I've become very organized on paper and in my personal space as a result").

If you have a friend who is also preparing for an interview, consider preparing together. Not only will this give you a way to structure your preparation, but it will also help you get comfortable with giving answers, telling anecdotes, and using appropriate terminology. Practice giving concise, complete answers and maintaining eye contact with the interviewer(s) while you give them. Make sure you aren't speaking too slow or too fast and that your answers are stated with confidence.

It's best to prepare for a wide variety of questions by thinking about your own career goals, long-term plans, past successes, and work strengths, but you should also brace yourself for the deceptively simple questions that most employers like to throw at their interviewees.