You received the call. You’ve been invited to show up for a job interview—the one you hoped you’d get. So now what?

More Than a Smile and a Warm Handshake

Like most experiences in life, interviewing for a job—especially for one you really want––is a skill. The more you think about it, prepare for it, and actually do it, the more accomplished you’ll become. The tendency is to focus on yourself—your voice, your outfit, your resume, your experience. However, it’s not really about you. It’s really about your potential employer and how you can fit the position he or she wants to fill.

Therefore, consider the following three incredible job interview techniques and then put them to work for you.

1. Come well prepared––meaning know enough about the company and the job you desire, that you can speak intelligently, asking and answering questions related to the topic, and showing the employer how you can contribute to the company’s success and growth through your skills, leadership, and talent.

2. Provide specific examples—meaning avoid speaking in generalities when asked about the work you did for your former employer. Be specific. "I hired and trained five new employees and oversaw their performance for the first six months of probation, then evaluated each one before they were employed permanently." OR "I took charge of cutting our yearly budget by 30% and achieved this goal by eliminating office clutter—paper files, outdated equipment, and unnecessary phone calls––as well as folding the duties of two part-time jobs into one full-time position."
3. Focus on the hiring manager––meaning take note of his or her body language, conversation, mood, attitude, and demeanor. You can move the interview in your favor by being more interested in what he or she is communicating than in what you are saying. Of course you need to answer questions clearly and pointedly, but avoid being so caught up in your own words that you overlook what the hiring manager is communicating to you. Keep in mind that people who are interested in others are interesting to others!

Jimmy Sweeney is the president of CareerJimmy and author of the brand new "Secret Career Document" job landing system. Jimmy is also the author of several career related books and writes a monthly article titled, "Job Search Secrets."

Visit our friends at Job Interview "Secret" and discover Jimmy Sweeney’s breakthrough strategy that will have you standing out from the competition like a Harvard graduate at a local job fair… DURING your next job interview.