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I don’t interview well, what should I do?

Q: I do not interview well. Sometimes I cannot answer questions quickly and sometimes I do not know what to say. How can I get a job when I never get past the first interview?

A: Very few people, other than sales people, are comfortable interviewing. So do remember you are not alone. Now, work to improve and you will see quick results.

Some easy ways:

• Develop some talking points for common interview questions.
  There are both books and online articles that talk about the most common questions. Take a look and think of good answers in advance.
• Create stories about your past successes.
  Be ready to share information about a specific situation, what you did  and what were the results.
• Ask someone you trust to help you practice.
  Give the person the job description or ad and ask them to interview you. Give yourself time to do this and to also talk about it afterwards so that you can see what you need to improve as well as hear your friend’s ideas. If you are really nervous, do this with 2-3 people you know.
• Before you go for an interview, get out your research and update it.
  You want to be ready for their questions but you also want to ask them questions which are important to your decision making.
• Just before an interview, take a few deep breathes and settle down.
  Remember, interviewing is a two way street – both you and the employer have something to offer!