Practice your interview. Definitely take this advice; you do not want to ‘wing it’. I can’t remember the last time that I spoke with someone who went on a job interview and said they were glad they just played it by ear. In fact it’s just the opposite. Most anyone I speak with that has been on an interview always wishes they were better prepared. Unfortunately, hind sight after an interview is not what you want – because more often than not, you won’t get a second chance. So, prepare and practice.

Action:

To help you determine the best approach to answering any given question, take into consideration the context of the question. Learning to differentiate between the possible contexts and selecting an appropriate response will minimize your need to memorize questions and answers. Most interview questions will fall into the three following contexts:

Past Context. These are asked because the best predictor of future performance is past behavior. You may hear of these being referred to as “Behavioral Questions” – which are quite popular now.

Behavioral questions will usually begin with:

Tell me about a time…

In the past how did you handle…

Describe three key factors you have used to…

Give me an example of…

What is the biggest mistake you’ve made in your career…

Present Context. These surround - who are you? What do you know? What do you want? The interviewer wants to know what is going on with you and who you are right now.

Present based questions will sound something like:

Tell me what you know about…

Where do you believe the industry is taking…

Why did you select this profession…

Future Context. With these questions the interviewer is trying to find out how you think, how you solve problems, what process you go through.

Future based questions will begin with:

What do you believe…

What steps would you take if…

How would you handle…

What would you do if…

So, pick out ten or twelve good interview questions that fall into the above contexts and prepare your answers. Then practice the answers in front of a mirror. Next, enlist one or two of your friends (you can use a parent, but they are not always the most objective in this situation) and have them ask you the questions. Formulate answers so that they are results oriented and prove the value you can bring to the organization. Make sure you stay on track with the question and keep your answers down to 30 seconds or so, (no rambling) you can always ask the interviewer if they would like more information.

To develop a strong interview strategy check out FiredUP Interviewing for New College Grads – It’s loaded with tips and techniques you’ll use now and in the future.

Good luck and remember – just move forward!

Posted by Robin Ogden – FiredUP Careers

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