Prepping for a job interview? Here are some quick tips for optimizing your performance:
Keep Things Short: Before you head into the interview, take out a watch (or activate the stopwatch function on your smartphone) and rehearse your answers to commonly asked questions. Each answer should clock in at no more than a minute and a half—at most. Job interviewers don’t like it when candidates ramble on.
Keep Things Focused: If it’s not relevant to the position, chances are pretty good that the interviewer isn’t all that interested in hearing about it. With that in mind, make sure your answers only address why your strengths and skills make you the best fit for the position. As a pre-interview exercise, try condensing your “unique value proposition” down to a few sentences.
Know Your History: Examples drawn from your previous work experience will help sell you as the ideal candidate for a particular job. Before the interview, recall and rehearse three or four (short) stories that display your skills, as well as your ability to work through challenges. You’ll need them.
Avoid ‘Land Mines’: Remember to stay away from discussions about politics, religion, or controversial issues that could end up blowing back on you.
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