You finally got that coveted interview, and you’re excited about the position and company, but now what?

Despite given the green flag to interview for the position, remember that there is a reason they call it an “interview”.  You still need to prove that the job should be yours.  The confidence you need to approach the interview is realizing that there is a reason they want you for an interview.  Your resume and skills seem promising to them, and there is a high chance that they find you the best match for the position.  Now you need to take this assumption on their part, and turn it into a concrete belief.

So how do you make this happen?

1. Be Human

The term “Interview” stands for a discussion, a meeting, a DIALOGUE.  The most important step is to have a dialogue with the employer.  People mistakenly see the interview as a one-way conversation where the employer asks the questions, and the interviewee needs to respond with the “right” answers.

Instead, it’s advantageous to realize that the employer is another person—another human who enjoys a good conversation like any other person.  When they interview a prospective candidate, they want to see that the candidate is personable and relatable.  They want to be able to envision you working in their company, interacting with their current employers, and fitting well with your co-workers.  The interview will be a bigger success if the interviewer finds that the conversation was less about answering questions and more about forming a connection between two people.  What it comes down to in the end is: If they find you likeable, they’ll want to hire you.

2. Research and Prepare

Interviews are like exams.  If you walk into an exam unprepared, the chances of failing the exam increase.  Similarly, you need to study for an interview as well.

First, do any basic research on the company.  What industry are they in?  Are there any recent press releases or news related to the company?  This may be a great talking point with the interviewer.

Next, your job is to figure out what type of interview will be conducted.  By knowing what to expect, you can refine skills suited for that interview type.

Different types of interviews:

• Behavioral Interview– This interview type gauges how you react to or “behave” in situations and will ask you for “real life” examples.
• Case Interview– This interview tests your problem-solving skills and employers want to see how you’ll rationalize and think through a problem.
• Group Interview– The group interview is designed to see how you interact with others, and your ability to make your input heard in a group setting.
• Lunch and Dinner Interview– These interviews show the employer how a candidate behaves in a social setting, and whether they can maintain their professionalism over lunch/dinner.   Mainly, these interviews gauge whether you are qualified to hold lunch or dinners with future clients.
• Public Interview– This interview is more casual, but shows the employer how you react in a public setting.
• Panel/Committee Interview– This interview type involves being interviewed by more than one interviewer.  There may or may not be other candidates simultaneously being interviewed in the same room.  This interview is designed to test your group management and group presentation skills.
• Stress Interview-The stress interview shows the employer how you react under stressful situations.   The employer will deliberately react in ways to test how you respond or recover.

After prepping for the appropriate interview type, don’t forget to find out an important piece of information—directions to the interview room!

3. Be Confident, Smile

You can’t convince the employer to be confident in your abilities if you aren’t confident in yourself.  Know that every person is different, and your own unique experiences offer something promising to their plate of candidates.  Take your strong points, and let them shine.

Hold your head up, smile, and be yourself.  Walk into that interview room confident because you have exactly what it takes to make that job yours. 

1. When invited to interview, ask for details:

2. Print out and bring extra copies of your resume – and review the job description.

3. Anticipate the questions you’ll be asked.

4. Be prepared to be as interested as you are interesting.

5. Practice your best poker face – and prepare to address any lemons in your background.

As you’ve probably noticed, we believe in straight talk for the job search. And we’re fighting back after the recent Wall Street Journal article on “Your Resume versus Oblivion.”

It pains us to think that only 25 out of every 100 applications for a job are only looked at — and frustrates us that the rest are overlooked because the resume doesn’t have the right keywords or phrases that show that the application is a fit for the job.

We don’t like those odds. But, as we noted last week — it helps even to know when you aren’t in the running for a job. Because then you can do something about it.

And there’s a lot you can do about it — and make your way onto an interview list. Here are three essential steps you can take.

1. Apply early.  We can’t stress this enough. It’s really important to apply within the first seven days that a job listing comes out. If you apply later, your application may not even get looked at.Why: Because most people who hire need to hire because they have more work then they can get to right now. And when they do their first review of applications, they typically make a short list of eight or fewer people who could do the job. These are the names that make the first interview list.And sometimes the people who hire — or their recruiters — only take a second look at applications if the people on the short list don’t work out. So it’s important to be early.How important? Out of a StartWiresurvey of 6400 hires in 2010, approximately 50% applied for the job they landed within one week of the job posting.Tip: You’ll get a job alert for any search you save in StartWire — just tell us what you’re looking for and we can send you the leads.
2. Make yourself real. Even if you’ve got a great resume and the best cover letter ever, you are only a name in a stack of applications until you get heard.Don’t be afraid to find a connection to the company and follow-up. Referrals are the #1 way most employers prefer to hire people they don’t know. Use LinkedIn and other tools to find any contacts you have that are associated with the place you want to work. (Tip: Connect your LinkedIn and Facebook accounts to StartWireand you’ll see this information when you look at job listings, too.)When you follow-up, you may want to put this advice in practice. Here are tips we received recently from folks at the Emily Post Institute:
   • Open your message by letting people know how you know them.
   • Provide information on your interests — and why you are contacting them. (e.g. “I’ve just applied to work at a great company, _______, and I understand your friend Sam works there as a _________. I was wondering if you might be able to put us in touch?”)
   • Offer your assistance as well. “I hope things are going well at _______. If I may be able to help you in anyway, please let me know.”
   • Provide your contact information, and say thank you again. (The Emily Post folks say the second thank you is critical!)If you can get an introduction, that’s great. But don’t expect a referral to do all the work for you. Offer to send a copy of your application materials if they are interested in seeing them — and continue to apply through official channels.(Here’s a tip not often mentioned: You can’t be hired at most companies unless you’ve at least submitted an application through official channels. This is because they can’t count you as an applicant otherwise.)
3. Don’t be afraid to follow-up. Many postings may say “no calls.” But the truth is, many people will talk to you if you do call — and it can help you stand out in the applicant pool. After all, people who advertise for help — need help. And if you’re following up, it shows that you are ready and willing to help.The worst thing that can happen is for someone to say the job’s been filled — which leaves you in a position to move on. The best thing, “I was going to go over applications later in the day, but since you’re calling — could you come in for an interview instead?”Again, showing that you’re interested and following up — shows that you are genuinely interested in the job. And if you add in a sentence or two that ties what the employer needs to the job, you can easily be that candidate that gets invited to come in.

Next Tuesday: The five minute trick to finding the right keywords to use in your resume when you apply for THAT job…And how to make them pop in your resume. Stay tuned!

Interviews can be daunting—especially when considering the time value of money.  The time spent in interviewing might mean another lost opportunity elsewhere.  Therefore, how can you make sure to win in your time investment?  How can you make your interviews be a valuable and useful investment to your future?

There are five defining moments in an interview that can “make it or break it”:

1. The Entrance.  First impressions are vital. How should you make your first impression?
2. The Conversation.  Have a conversation, not an interrogation.
3. The Value Proposition.  What should make them hire you over another?
4. The Questions.
5. The End of an Interview.  It’s not enough just to say, thanks for your time!

In this article, Mark Babbit does an engaging job detailing these five defining moments in:  “The Five Defining Moments of Every Job Interview”.