You have finally done it now, and today is your big day because you have landed a job interview the very company you want to work for.
It has been a long process as you wrote and polished your resume, filed applications, and waited for phones calls for an interview.
Now that your interview is here there are a few things to consider that could make or break your opportunity.
Here we want to discuss a few tips on how you can have a successful interview, or at least position yourself for it.
One of the best things you can do is to be prepared beforehand.
You can not control who you your interviewer will be, or whether they will like you or not, but you can be prepared.
This means first of all do some research on the company itself.
Know all about the office you are interviewing at, exactly what they do there, and who the managers are.
If the company is not local, know something about the corporation overall like where their main office is, what they do in different countries, and the information from the latest stock report.
Also, find out as much as you can about the position you are interviewing for like what type of qualifications they are looking for, how you fit, and what value you will add to their company.
Your personal appearance at the interview is very important is this will be the very first impression your potential employer will have of you.
Overall, you should look clean, well groomed, but do not look like you just stepped out of the salon.
Make sure you are dressing appropriate for the position you are applying for.
If you are trying to get a professional position a suit and tie is appropriate.
If you are applying for a manual labor job then jeans and a clean shirt like a button down or polo type shirt would do just fine.
When you arrive for your interview make you are early and absolutely not late.
You must remember the name of the person you are interviewing with an address them as sir or madam.
When they introduce themselves give them a firm but not hard handshake and look them in the eyes.
Make sure you are using good manners with anyone and everyone you meet during your interview.
Try to be as relaxed and natural as possible because if you are nervous it will show through to the interviewer.
Always us proper English when speaking, and speak in complete sentences.
Have an overall positive and enthusiastic attitude, and use body language that shows are you interested in what they are discussing.
You will have to do your homework to be prepared for the canned questions they may ask.
There are classic questions they may ask such as why they should hire you, what your long term goals are, and what your strengths and weaknesses are.
You can practice answering these questions by doing a mock interview with a friend or relative.
Be prepared also to ask good and thoughtful questions.
Avoid asking questions that can be found by looking at the company website.
Make sure your questions are specific to the job you are applying for.
You also need to be able to describe your prior experience, and how that experience will add value to the position you are applying for.
When they ask for salary never give them a number, always let them make an offer first and you can counter off of that if you are not satisfied.
When the interview is over make sure you thank them for the interview and emphasize your genuine interest in the position.
Make sure you shake their hand and tell them you will be looking forward to hearing back from them.
Follow up by sending them a thank you note and emphasize again your interest in the position.
Following these tips will get you a long ways toward having a successful interview and snagging that position you want.