Tips for Acing Your Next Job Interview

Most people feel pretty pressured when they'rejobs. I was left with a lot of slack to pick up. My
interviewing for a job. You know, sweaty palms,weakness with this kind of situation is that I expect
increased heart rate, an elevated desire to curse. Itother employees to give as much as I give to my
happens to all of us at one point or another. However,career. I went along for quite some time doing the
there are some tips that you can follow to help youthings that they neglected, or picking up after their
get through the interview at least appearing to be calmnegligent messes. I tried to hint, coerce, and all but
and collected. Here are some great job interview tips.force them to do better jobs, and then I realized that
Before the interview rehearse, repeat, and rehearsenot everyone is like me. People are all different. I simply
again. Managers and senior managers who do thestopped trying to make them do something they were
interviewing for positions can ask some pretty toughnever going to do. Howeveer, I also stopped cleaning
questions. You want to be able to handle thoseup their messes. I know now that I can't do everyone
questions without a sweat. Enlist the help of a friend orelse's job, and at the end of the day, if I'm satisfied with
family member to role play with. They can ask somemy job, that's enough."
of the more challenging questions, and you canLet it be known that you are interviewing the
practice answering them until you've come up with aninterviewer. You don't want to come across sounding
answer that will pleasantly surprise your interviewer.like an arrogant jerk, but you also don't want to sound
Some of the toughest questions an interviewer candesperate. You want the interviewer to understand
ask are:that you have other options, and you will only be
- What are your weaknesses?accepting this job if your expectations are met. A
- What are your strengths?great way to say this without sounding arrogant is, "I
- What are you trying to overcome?think that this is an acceptable salary, if there are
- Where do you see yourself in five years?opportunities to advance within the company." Stick to
Tell short and interesting stories that make points. Youyour original expectations of pay, and don't budge
don't have to be extremely witty to come up with aunless better benefits come with a decreased pay, or
great story that proves or conveys a point. You canother perks are added. You know what you're worth.
use these stories along with the questions above. ForThe best tip of all is to be who you are. If you are a
example, if the interviewer asks you, "what are yourfunny person, with a great sense of humor, let it show.
weaknesses", give him a great story that makes yourOf course you should be professional, but you don't
weakness seem more like a great character trait. Ahave to be a stick in the mud. 55% of the time,
great one would be something like, "I worked for asomeone is hired because the interviewer liked them.
company a few years ago, and found that many ofBe yourself, and use these tips and ideas to get
my employees were giving less than 100% to theirthrough the interview and come out in one piece.