Practice:
Practice answering interview questions and practice your responses to the typical job interview questions and answers most employers ask. Think of actual examples you can use to describe your skills. Providing evidence of your successes is a great way to promote your candidacy.
Prepare
Prepare a response so you are ready for the question "What do you know about our company. Know the interviewer's name and use it during the job interview. If you're not sure of the name, call and ask prior to the interview. Try to relate what you know about the company when answering questions.
Watch
Take a look at my Job Interview Tips Videos,so you'll be sure to dazzle a potential employer and leave the right impression.
Get Ready
Make sure your interview attire is neat, tidy and appropriate for the type of firm you are interviewing with. Bring a nice portfolio with copies of your resume. Include a pen and paper for note taking.
Be On time
Be on time for the interview. On time means five to ten minutes early. If need be, take some time to drive to the office ahead of time so you know exactly where you are going and how long it will take to get there.
Stay Calm
During the job interview try to relax and stay as calm possible. Take a moment to regroup. Maintain eye contact with the interviewer. Listen to the entire question before you answer and pay attention - you will be embarrassed if you forget the question!
Show What Your Know
Try to relate what you know about the company when answering questions. When discussing your career accomplishments match them to what the company is looking for.
Follow Up
Always follow-up with a Thank you note reiterating your interest in the position. If you interview with multiple people send each one a thank you note.
Be patient!
The average job search averages 2-6 months.•Get ready for 6 months of hard work, rejection, insecurity, and maybe even depression. Keep calm and remind yourself that if you keep trying hard, you will eventually get the job you want.
•Spend very little of your time on Internet job boards and help-wanted ads
•Take advantage of social networking sites.If you aren't already using web sites like Linked In, Face book, and My Space to re-connect with old acquaintances and make new ones, this would be a good time to start.
•Network, Network, Network!
Let the world know that you are available for work. Discuss with family, friends, teachers, neighbors, lovers, strangers,… everyone! Don’t ask people for jobs directly; ask for their help and advice. Build a network digitally as well as verbally and use email, fax, and Web sites to help connect you to your “helpers”.
•Hit the Books, Again!
Keep your professional skills sharp while job hunting. Attend professional conferences, seminars, lectures, and groups.
•Be Flexible about What Job You Will Take!
Keep this in mind. Those people who are more flexible about the job they will take will increase their chances of getting a job. Often a job is not exactly what you are looking for, but it might still be a very good job for you for other reasons. Perhaps you may gain a great deal of valuable work experience from this job. Perhaps it will allow you to network with other professionals. Perhaps it will give you more opportunities to learn and grow within this company. Be flexible about what you will take, and you may find more opportunities within that job.
•Don’t Put All Your Eggs in One Basket.
Be diverse. Be a “Jack-of-all-trades”. Education is a way of life. If you need to go back to school for a certificate or degree that will open the door to the career you really want, then you might want to consider that. Keep your career plans flexible so that you have a chance to grow in several directions and not in just one.
•Acquire Skills:
In a downturn, candidates should be concerned with acquiring skills for their future career instead of worrying about what company they are starting with. A lot of firms will give people an out during hard times and will not be as picky about a brand name on a resume.
•Sell Yourself properly:
Pluck skills from previous career and build additional skills. Perform a very honest introspection to find out what you can be outstanding (not just good) at and offer yourself to employers who could appreciate your specific value.
•Stay Positive:
The most important thing when searching for a job in tough economic times is to retain a positive attitude. Even in a job market with 20 percent unemployment, there’s 80 percent employment.