How to Improve Your Interview Skills

Businesswoman

How you conduct yourself on an interview, including what interview skills you utilize on the interview, is usually a prospective employer’s first chance to interact with you on a personal, face to face level. If you look great on paper but bomb the interview, you’ve lost the job. There are no second chances to make a first impression. You have to put your best foot forward and make an impact on the hiring official if you want to land the job. There are several things you can do to improve your interview skills and help you get the job you want. We’ve compiled a list of the best, most effective tips to help you snag the job of your dreams!

Interview Strategies

* Practice makes perfect. Find a friend or interview coach that can help you practice your answers to a list of interview questions that might be asked at an interview. Compiling your answers in advance and then practicing in a mock interview setting can help take the edge off your nervousness and put you more at ease in a real interview.

* Head to the library. With today’s technology and the proliferation of personal computers and smart phones with Internet access, the wealth of information at the library is often overlooked. Your local library is an invaluable source of materials that can help you improve your interview skills, and you can get a library card at no charge from most libraries if you’d like to use the materials at home. From books to CDs and DVDs, you can find information on every aspect of the job seeking process, from applying to interviewing and even following up after the interview.

* Attend job fairs. Take plenty of copies of your resume and mix and mingle with prospective employers. These impromptu, on-the-spot interviews will give you lots of practice and make you less nervous at a formal interview later. The best way to conquer fear or feelings of being uncomfortable is to confront the obstacle and desensitize yourself. This is a quick and easy way to do that and improve your interview skills at the same time, at no cost to you.

* Another way to practice interview techniques is to seek the services of a local, not-for-profit of government-run employment agency. These organizations offer a full range of services for the job seeker at no cost to you. These services include resume preparation and assistance with job interview skills. A job counselor can help you practice your interview skills, or you may have the option to join a group of other job seekers that helps you improve by offering interview role playing.

The best way to improve your job interview skills and learn about new interview techniques is to enlist the help of a professional Job Coach. At GoGetterCareers.com, we can connect you to a professional Job Interview Coach that can assist you with preparing for interview questions. From the process of finding suitable jobs, to creating or improving your resume, practicing for the interview and following up when it’s all over, we can help! Create a free Job Seeker account and contact us today to see what we can do for you! Remember effective interview skills are learned and with some training your interview skills can develop into exceptional interviewing skills.