5 Tips For a Successful Job Interview

Job interviews can be stressful. After all, you are trying to convince a stranger that you are qualified for the job. But you can ace your next interview if you follow these 5 tips for a successful job interview.

1. Be Prepared

This might sound obvious, but there are many aspects of preparing for a successful job interview that many candidates don't realize. One of the best tips for a successful job interview that I can give is to put together a checklist of all the things that you need for the interview. Some things on the checklist might be: bring multiple copies of your resume, print out driving directions to the office, and know how long it takes to get there. The last thing you want to be is late!

2. Make Eye Contact

Making positive eye contact is a key tip for a successful interview. Eye contact is so important because it is one of the strongest forms of nonverbal communication. A person's qualities and personality can be detected simply based on eye contact. Making direct eye contact communicates confidence and high self-esteem, two key qualities employers look for in candidates.

Thus, it is very important that you make eye contact when you first meet interviewer and shake hands. And during the interview, it is important to make eye contact, not only when you talk, but also as you listen. Simply doing these two tips will greatly help your chances of success in a job interview.

3. Dress Appropriately

Knowing what to wear for a successful job interview is half the battle of the interview itself. The old adage could never be so true, "You never get a second chance to make a first impression."

When first deciding what to wear for a successful job interview, you should first take into consideration the culture of the company you are interviewing with, and dress accordingly. Are you interviewing with a company where the employees wear suits everyday or do they wear t-shirts and jeans?

If you want to get the job, your choice of what to wear on a job interview should match or be slightly dressier than the normal work attire of the company. For example, if the normal work attire of the company is business casual, it's ok to wear a suit to impress. If the normal work attire is casual, it's ok to wear a business casual outfit to impress as well. Appropriateness is the most important factor on what to wear on a job interview.

After you decide whether a professional, business casual, or casual outfit the most appropriate for your interview, here are some guidelines you will want to stay with in when deciding what to wear on a job interview. The key is to wear clothing that you feel comfortable and look great in, while at the same time matching the corresponding dress code of the company. That way you'll give off great energy for a successful job interview.

4. Know the Company

Walking into an interview with proper knowledge of the company will score points with the interviewer. Other candidates may have the same job experience as you, but you can set yourself apart by demonstrating your knowledge of current events of the company and its industry. Visit the company's website for any news or press releases that it has sent out recently. This will give you opportunities to ask questions during the interview, which is definitely a key to a successful job interview.

Was there a recent change in Management? If so, you might want to ask how this will impact the company. Maybe the company just rolled out new technology. You can ask what the interview thinks about it, in relation to the company's competitors.

Familiarizing yourself with the company will give you an edge over your competition, and is critical to having a successful job interview.

5. Know Your Skills

You need to be very familiar with your resume and skill set before going on any interview. Remember, the interviewer is most likely meeting you for the first time, and may not know much about you. Plus, the interviewer is probably meeting with several candidates for the same position, and you need to separate yourself from the crowd.

You must effectively communicate your skills and qualifications to the interviewer, and you can only do so if you are totally familiar with your resume and skills. For example, if they ask you what you learned from your last job, you should have a few answers to choose from. And every answer you give should be supported by concrete examples. Without concrete examples, the interviewer will have nothing to latch on to, and might overlook what you have to say. But if you attach a real-world event or accomplishment to your example, it is more likely to leave an impression on the interviewer. This is key to having a successful job interview.

You now have 5 tips for a successful job interview. I highly recommended that you implement these tips the next time you go on an interview, as they will help set you apart from the crowd and gain an edge over the other candidates.