Interviews For Dummies

Despite the fact that I have endured my fair share of interviews during my lifetime, I always get nervous. My hands begin to sweat, I think of all the horrible questions I could be asked, and I begin to imagine the worst possible outcomes. This never fails to happen to me, no matter how much I prepare in advance, and I doubt I’m the only one who gets these feelings. To help you ace an interview, there are a few things that must be done to ensure success.

Restrain from rambling while talking about your qualifications or answering a question. Your interviewers want you to appear to have it all together (even if you don't), so talking in circles will unfortunately get you nowhere. To prevent this from occurring, keep it short and sweet and just highlight some main points before moving on. Otherwise, you might end up like this:

In addition, it is also beneficial to process your thoughts internally before speaking. Some of the questions that might be thrown at you are difficult to answer, so thinking through possible answers before you talk will help you nail them. It'll also give you a chance to take a breath and cool down so your answer doesn't end up as a confusing mess.

Take time to prepare. Look up practice questions, talk to others about their interview experiences, and get a good night's rest. Don't procrastinate this process, because you might find yourself stressed out before the interview if you do. Most importantly, remember to relax.

Relaxation will help you show your true self, which is one of the best pieces of advice I have. The point of an interview is to get to know you, so treat it like a normal conversation. Don't respond to the interviewer(s) based on what you think they want to hear. Be genuine and honest about your answers, and unmask your great personality.

Show your confidence. Dress for success, hold your head high, and know that you are going to do well. Be careful that this doesn't come off as arrogance though. You don't want them to think that you're over-confident about your abilities.

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Be fierce like Beyoncé. Do your power pose, take a deep breath, and kill that interview.

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Good luck!