With the economy the way it is, many people are finding themselves laid off and looking for work. Others may have just completed their education or training, but are struggling to compete with thousands of other job seekers for the limited number of job openings out there. It definitely helps your chances to have extensive schooling, training, and experience in your chosen field, but what happens when an employer has a few prospects for an opening, and the other potential employees have the same assets that you have? This is where the interview process comes in – the interview is the deciding factor for most employers on who they will hire in the end. This is why it is so important to be completely prepared for an interview, so that you will be the person they choose to employ.

1. Preparing for a Job Interview
FreeforkWeb Agency
www.Freefork.com

2. By Marcus Lane
WITH THE ECONOMY THE WAY IT IS, MANY PEOPLE ARE FINDING
THEMSELVES LAID OFF AND LOOKING FOR WORK. OTHERS MAY HAVE
JUST COMPLETED THEIR EDUCATION OR TRAINING, BUT ARE
STRUGGLING TO COMPETE WITH THOUSANDS OF OTHER JOB SEEKERS
FOR THE LIMITED NUMBER OF JOB OPENINGS OUT THERE. IT DEFINITELY
HELPS YOUR CHANCES TO HAVE EXTENSIVE SCHOOLING, TRAINING, AND
EXPERIENCE IN YOUR CHOSEN FIELD, BUT WHAT HAPPENS WHEN AN
EMPLOYER HAS A FEW PROSPECTS FOR AN OPENING, AND THE OTHER
POTENTIAL EMPLOYEES HAVE THE SAME ASSETS THAT YOU HAVE? THIS IS
WHERE THE INTERVIEW PROCESS COMES IN – THE INTERVIEW IS THE
DECIDING FACTOR FOR MOST EMPLOYERS ON WHO THEY WILL HIRE IN
THE END. THIS IS WHY IT IS SO IMPORTANT TO BE COMPLETELY
PREPARED FOR AN INTERVIEW, SO THAT YOU WILL BE THE PERSON THEY
CHOOSE TO EMPLOY.

3. By Marcus Lane
THE MOST IMPORTANT THING YOU CAN DO TO PREPARE FOR AN INTERVIEW IS TO
RESEARCH THE INTERVIEWING COMPANY AND KNOW WHAT THE POSITION ENTAILS.
THE MORE FAMILIAR YOU ARE WITH THE COMPANY’S SERVICES, POLICIES, PRODUCTS,
AND ACTION STATEMENT, THE MORE PROMISING YOU’LL LOOK TO THE POTENTIAL
EMPLOYER. THEY WILL BE RELIEVED THAT YOU ALREADY KNOW THE BASICS OF THE
COMPANY, BECAUSE THAT MEANS A LITTLE LESS EFFORT AND TRAINING ON THEIR
PART, AND YOU WILL ALSO COME ACROSS AS BEING SINCERELY INTERESTED IN
OBTAINING A CAREER WITH THAT PARTICULAR COMPANY. WHEN SOMEONE WALKS
INTO AN INTERVIEW WITH ABSOLUTELY NO KNOWLEDGE OF THE COMPANY, THEY
GIVE THE IMPRESSION OF BEING WILLING TO WORK ANYWHERE – IT DOESN’T
MATTER WHERE – AND THIS BUSINESS JUST HAPPENED TO BE THE ONE THAT ASKED
THEM TO COME IN FOR AN INTERVIEW. EMPLOYERS WANT TO HIRE PEOPLE WHO ARE
ENTHUSIASTIC ABOUT WORKING WITH THEM SPECIFICALLY. YOU SHOULD ALSO FIND
OUT BEFOREHAND WHAT THE POSITION IS, EXACTLY. THIS WILL ALLOW YOU TO
FIGURE OUT HOW YOUR ASSETS WOULD BE USED ON THE JOB, AND WHICH
PERSONAL STRENGTHS YOU SHOULD HIGHLIGHT DURING THE INTERVIEW. YOU MAY
HAVE WON MANY AWARDS FOR YOUR FANTASTIC PUMPKIN PIES, BUT IF YOU ARE
APPLYING FOR A POSITION IN HUMAN RESOURCES, THIS IS NOT SOMETHING THAT
THE INTERVIEWER WILL CARE ABOUT.

4. By Marcus Lane
MAKE A LIST OF YOUR MOST VALUABLE STRENGTHS BEFORE THE INTERVIEW,
AND WRITE OUT A LIST OF QUESTIONS THAT ARE COMMONLY ASKED. THIS WAY
YOU CAN PRACTICE PROMOTING YOURSELF AND YOU WILL BE ABLE TO ANSWER
THE COMMON QUESTIONS MORE QUICKLY AND WITH MORE CONFIDENCE. THE
INTERVIEW PROCESS IS VERY TIME CONSUMING FOR THE INDIVIDUALS
CONDUCTING THE INTERVIEW, SO THEY WILL APPRECIATE DIRECT, TO-THE-POINT
ANSWERS THAT HAVE ALREADY BEEN WELL THOUGHT OUT. SOME COMMON
QUESTIONS IN INTERVIEWS, REGARDLESS OF WHAT THE POSITION IS, INCLUDE:
WHY DO YOU WANT TO WORK FOR OUR COMPANY? TELL ME A LITTLE BIT ABOUT
YOURSELF (THIS MEANS SCHOOL, TRAINING, WORK EXPERIENCE, AND A LITTLE
BIT ABOUT YOUR EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES/HOBBIES). WHAT STRENGTHS
DO YOU THINK YOU WILL BRING TO THIS POSITION? WHAT ARE YOUR
WEAKNESSES? REHEARSING YOUR ANSWERS BEFORE THE INTERVIEW WILL
DECREASE YOUR CHANCES OF STUTTERING AND STUMBLING OVER YOUR WORDS
TRYING TO FIGURE OUT WHAT THE INTERVIEWER WANTS TO HEAR.

5. By Marcus Lane
THE SIMPLEST COMPONENTS OF PREPARING FOR A JOB INTERVIEW ARE
DRESSING APPROPRIATELY, KNOWING WHERE THE INTERVIEW WILL BE
HELD, ARRIVING ON TIME, AND BRINGING AN EXTRA COPY OF YOUR
RESUME, COVER LETTER, AND REFERENCES. ARRIVING TO AN INTERVIEW
WITH YOUR OWN COPY SHOWS THE EMPLOYER THAT YOU ARE
PREPARED, AND WILL ALSO HELP THEM OUT IF YOU APPLIED FOR THE
JOB ONLINE, OR IF YOU DIDN’T PROVIDE REFERENCES PRIOR TO THE
INTERVIEW. IT WILL ALSO HELP THEM IF THEY SIMPLY HAPPENED TO
LOSE THEIR COPY OF YOUR RESUME. IF THEY HAVE THEIR OWN COPY ON
HAND, THEN IT WILL HELP YOU WITH QUESTIONS CONCERNING WORK
EXPERIENCE AND SCHOOLING, ETC. – YOU WON’T NEED TO GUESS AT
THE NAMES OF MANAGERS, PHONE NUMBERS, OR DATES OF
EMPLOYMENT FOR PREVIOUS JOBS, BECAUSE YOU CAN USE YOUR
RESUME AS A REFERENCE.

6. By Marcus Lane
ARRIVING ON TIME TO AN INTERVIEW IS CRUCIAL, SO YOU SHOULD PLAN
YOUR MODE OF TRANSPORTATION WELL AHEAD OF TIME, AND PLAN TO
ARRIVE A LITTLE EARLIER THAN YOUR INTERVIEW IS SCHEDULED. KEEP IN
MIND THAT IF YOU’RE DRIVING, YOU MAY NEED EXTRA TIME TO FIND
PARKING, AND IF YOU’RE TAKING THE BUS, TAKE AN EARLY ONE IN CASE
OF DELAYS. YOU SHOULD ALSO KNOW EXACTLY WHERE IN THE BUILDING
THE INTERVIEW WILL BE HELD, OR WHAT RECEPTION DESK TO GO TO,
AND THE NAME AND POSITION OF THE INTERVIEWER, SO YOU KNOW
WHO TO ASK FOR. IF YOU ARRIVE TOO EARLY TO YOUR APPOINTMENT,
WAIT IN A RESTAURANT, BOOKSTORE, ETC. UNTIL IT’S CLOSER TO THE
SCHEDULED TIME. THIS WAY, YOUR INTERVIEWER WILL NOT FEEL
PRESSURED TO FINISH UP OTHER TASKS QUICKLY TO ACCOMMODATE
YOU.

7. By Marcus Lane
DRESSING FOR THE INTERVIEW CAN BE STRESSFUL, SO PLAN WHAT YOU WILL
WEAR A COUPLE DAYS IN ADVANCE. THIS GIVES YOU TIME TO TAKE YOUR OUTFIT
IN FOR ALTERATIONS IF NEEDED, OR TIME TO BUY A NEW OUTFIT IF YOU DON’T
HAVE ANYTHING APPROPRIATE. NOTHING’S WORSE THAN GETTING UP THE DAY
OF YOUR BIG INTERVIEW, PULLING UP YOUR PANTS, AND REALIZING THAT YOU’VE
GAINED WEIGHT SINCE THE LAST TIME YOU WORE THEM AND THEY WON’T ZIP
UP! PICKING AN OUTFIT FOR AN INTERVIEW IS FAIRLY SIMPLE – YOU WANT TO
LOOK NEAT, CLEAN, AND PROFESSIONAL. FOR MEN, DRESS PANTS AND A DRESS
SHIRT AND TIE ARE PRETTY STANDARD, ALTHOUGH A FULL SUIT NEVER HURTS.
FOR WOMEN, THE SAME RULE APPLIES, BUT IF YOU CHOSE TO WEAR A SKIRT,
ENSURE THAT IT IS A BUSINESS STYLE AND THAT IT ISN’T TOO SHORT THAT IT’S
CONSIDERED SEXY. WOMEN SHOULD ALSO BE AWARE OF THEIR MAKEUP – YOU
WANT TO LOOK NICE, NOT LIKE YOU’RE GOING OUT FOR A NIGHT ON THE TOWN.
IF YOU AREN’T USED TO DRESSING UP ON A DAILY BASIS, THEN TRYING YOUR
OUTFIT ON A COUPLE DAYS IN ADVANCE AND WEARING IT AROUND THE HOUSE
WILL HELP YOU TO FEEL MORE COMFORTABLE AND CONFIDENT.

8. By Marcus Lane
OVERALL, THE MOST IMPORTANT ASPECT OF GOING TO A JOB INTERVIEW IS TO
BE WELL PREPARED. THE MORE PREPARED YOU ARE, THE MORE PROFESSIONAL,
INTELLIGENT, AND CONFIDENT YOU WILL APPEAR TO YOUR POTENTIAL
EMPLOYER. AND, WHEN FACED WITH SIMILAR APPLICANTS, THE POTENTIAL
EMPLOYER WILL ALWAYS CHOOSE THE INDIVIDUAL WHO ROCKED THE
INTERVIEW. SO BE PREPARED, AND GOOD LUCK!

9. Happy Halloween! 
FreeforkWeb Agency
www.Freefork.com