Treat all interviews as business formal. Be yourself, but take the interview seriously. Verbally express your sincere interest in the position before you leave. Come with a notepad, prepared to take notes, along with copies of your resume for everyone who might be in the interview with you. I always find it beneficial if as soon as I sit down at the interview I have a pen and paper ready along with a copy of my resume for myself -- that way I can't write down names so I don't forget. Further, if they ask me a question about my past experience and I draw a blank I can glance down my resume. Also, make sure you come prepared with all dates you need off written down. Finally, look up behavioral interview questions on the internet and practice answering them with your own personal experience or "SAR," (explain the SITUATION, describe your personal ACTION, conclude with the RESULT and what you learned). There are certain questions you can bet will be in any interview -- you should have them down pat. A quick tip: google how to respond to the "Tell me about yourself" question.
Do research on the company, department, and position. Job descriptions and qualifications are gold: they tell you exactly what they want. Take the time to write down how you have exhibited the qualities the company is looking for and consider your strengths and weaknesses. Describe how you have EXHIBITED the qualities they desire, rather than list the qualities you have. Again, BE YOURSELF. There will be nearly no (if any) candidates that will look perfect on paper -- don't try to cover anything up -- you're being evaluated by experienced professionals that will see through it every time. Rather don't be afraid to bring to light your weaknesses and past failures -- just be sure you thoroughly explain how you are improving, what you learned, and your sincere desire to overcome these obstacles. Someone might disagree with this, but I think if you are asked a tough behavioral question and you cant come up with any positive experience, it would be better to talk about how you've had a negative experience but explain what you learned from it and how you have improved. ALWAYS have questions prepared (I like to write them down on my notepad) to ask the interviewer after your interview was finished. If you think of a question in the middle of the interview or something very important is said, jolt it down.
Finally, tie the knot with the little things: give a good handshake, SMILE, look sharp and professional, arrive early (but no more than 20 mins), and thank everyone involved. ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS send thank you letters to everyone who interviewed you. Some hiring managers only hire people who send them thank you letters -- it's a must.
Like anything else, practice makes perfect: practice practice practice.
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Interview Tips: http://msn.careerbuilder.com/msn/category.aspx?categoryid=IV
Resume Tips: http://www.rockportinstitute.com/resumes
Cover Letter Tips: http://career-advice.monster.com/resumes-cover-letters/cover-letter-tips/jobs.aspx
My Resume: http://box.com/shared/e7366147cc57f180a801
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