10 Tips to Boost Your Interview Skills

Even the smartest and most qualified job seekers need to prepare for job interviews. Why, you ask? Interviewing is a learned skill, and there are no second chances to make a great first impression. So study these 10 strategies to enhance your interview skills.  

Practice Good Nonverbal Communication 

It's about demonstrating confidence: standing straight, making eye contact and connecting with a firm handshake. That first nonverbal impression can be a great beginning -- or quick ending -- to your interview. 

Dress for the Job or Company 

Today's casual dress codes do not give you permission to dress as "they" do when you interview. It is important to know what to wear to an interview and to be well-groomed. Whether you wear a suit or something less formal depends on the company culture and the position you are seeking. If possible, call to find out about the company dress code before the interview. 

Listen 

From the very beginning of the interview, your interviewer is giving you information, either directly or indirectly. If you are not hearing it, you are missing a major opportunity. Good communication skills include listening and letting the person know you heard what was said. Observe your interviewer, and match that style and pace. 

Don't Talk Too Much 
Telling the interviewer more than he needs to know could be a fatal mistake. When you have not prepared ahead of time, you may ramble when answering interview questions, sometimes talking yourself right out of the job. Prepare for the interview by reading through the job posting, matching your skills with the position's requirements and relating only that information. 

Don't Be Too Familiar 
The interview is a professional meeting to talk business. This is not about making a new friend. Your level of familiarity should mimic the interviewer's demeanor. It is important to bring energy and enthusiasm to the interview and to ask questions, but do not overstep your place as a candidate looking for a job. 

Use Appropriate Language 

It's a given that you should use professional language during the interview. Be aware of any inappropriate slang words or references to age, race, religion, politics or sexual orientation -- these topics could send you out the door very quickly. 

Don't Be Cocky 

Attitude plays a key role in your interview success. There is a fine balance between confidence, professionalism and modesty. Even if you're putting on a performance to demonstrate your ability, overconfidence is as bad, if not worse, as being too reserved. 

Take Care to Answer the Questions 

When interviewers ask for an example of a time when you did something, they are asking behavioral interview questions, which are designed to elicit a sample of your past behavior. If you fail to relate a specific example, you not only don't answer the question, but you also miss an opportunity to prove your ability and talk about your skills. 

Ask Questions 

When asked if they have any questions, most candidates answer, "No." Wrong answer. Part of knowing how to interview is being ready to ask questions that demonstrate an interest in what goes on in the company. Asking questions also gives you the opportunity to find out if this is the right place for you. The best questions come from listening to what you're asked during the interview and asking for additional information. 

Don't Appear Desperate 

When you interview with the "please, please hire me" approach, you appear desperate and less confident. Reflect the three Cs during the interview: cool, calm and confidence. You know you can do the job; make sure the interviewer believes you can, too.

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Interviewing on the Sly

When searching for a new job, dealing with prospective employers is stressful enough: the numerous rejections before you get to yes, grueling interviews, tense salary negotiations and more. But add the almost universal need to conceal your job search -- especially the interviews -- from your present employer, and the result distracts many job seekers from preparing for interviews and even conducting them properly.

We asked several experts how to mitigate the troubles of the professional who must protect his current job while interviewing for a new one. The toughest challenges fall into three categories: scheduling interviews into and around the workday, dressing to impress without setting off alarms at work and finding excuses for those mysterious "appointments."

Scheduling Interviews

The best strategy for scheduling job interviews is to set expectations with your prospects about the limits work places on your availability while remaining as flexible as possible. "Tell the recruiter or prospective employer early on about your hours of availability for phone calls," advises Lindsay Olson, a partner and recruiter with Paradigm Staffing in New York City.

Many initial screening interviews are conducted by phone. Tight schedules notwithstanding, it's critical to your present employment security to avoid doing phone interviews while the boss might be listening from the other side of the partition.

"Schedule your calls; don't try to do them on the fly," says Karen Loebbaka, director of recruiting for venture capital firm Bay Partners in Cupertino, California.

Even communicating with the prospective employer to arrange the interview can be problematic. "You've got to be creative -- maybe take your lunch hour from 1 to 2," when more managers at the prospective employer are likely to be back at their desks to take your call, says Melanie Szlucha, a job interview coach in Norwalk, Connecticut.

Some impatient employers and recruiters may not be satisfied with the once-a-day email habit of job seekers who wisely want to avoid their work computers. "Get Web service for your cellphone, or get a BlackBerry," recommends Olson. "Ten dollars a month for Web access is a small price to pay."

Pulling a Clark Kent

You know the drill: You work in a khakis or jeans office, but you've got to wear a suit to a lunch interview. If you need to pull a Clark Kent, plan what will serve as your phone booth in advance.

"I've changed my clothes in my car in a deserted parking lot," says Szlucha. "You can also use hotel or library restrooms." But the restroom of the coffee shop nearest the office is a bad place to dress up incognito.

Another tactic is to create a diversion with decoy dress-up days. "Start wearing dress clothes to work one or two days a week," says Szlucha. You may receive suspicious glances and knowing remarks at first, but the reaction likely will fade over time.

You can reduce the risk of raising suspicions by not dressing up more than necessary for a particular interview. "Call the receptionist or someone in HR and ask what's the dress code," advises Szlucha. "For your interview, go one level up from there."

Making Excuses

Now to face your biggest cold-sweat moment this side of the interview: communicating your workday absence to the boss.

Some observers advise unforthcoming honesty. "You need to maintain a very straightforward approach," says Brenda Greene, author of You've Got the Interview: Now What? "If anyone questions you, say you have an appointment. The less explaining you do, the less you'll have to cover up."

But if your employer corners you to ask about your "appointment," deception can be justified, some believe. "One should tell the truth when at all possible," says Michael Hoffman, director of the Center for Business Ethics at Bentley College. "But it depends on the situation and environment you're working in. If you see no alternative, you may be forced to tell less than the whole truth."

Sometimes telling the truth would cause a greater harm, says Hoffman. "So it might be that saying you have a doctor's appointment is ethically permissible," he says.

The bottom line, Olson says: "Once you get to the point in your career where you need to make a change, there's nothing you can do about the need to lead a double life."

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Phone Interviews: Five Tricks for Standing Out

Phone interviews are a useful tool for potential employers -- the conversations help screen candidates quickly and determine who’s worth a face-to-face meeting. So when you’ve sent out and uploaded your resume online, it’s essential to be ready to kick booty when the phone rings. Here’s how:       

Know Of What You Speak
Make sure you have a copy of your resume, the cover letter you sent and the original job description in a folder near your phone. It’s also nice to add information about the company, the person who may be calling to interview you and any potential questions you know you’ll want to ask. Be sure to be armed with a pencil and paper for taking notes.

Rehearse Your Responses
Prep for the conversation by thinking about the job and the qualities a candidate must have. How do your strengths match up? What are your weaknesses? Anticipate questions you might be asked and consider how you’ll answer them. Bounce ideas off a friend if you’re concerned about a particular aspect of the job description or use Monster’s Advice Forums to gain information from others in that industry. 

Watch Your Language
In a phone interview, it is important to speak slowly and clearly. Remember, the quality of your conversation and your ability to answer questions is all the interviewer has to go on over the phone. Keep the “ums,” “ahs” and “you knows” to a minimum (think about the Caroline Kennedy debacle). Don’t use slang or other informal language. 

Think Before You Speak
Take the time you need to answer the interview questions completely and thoughtfully. Be sure not to interrupt or begin answering the question before the interviewer has finished speaking; there may be more to the question than you realize. If the interviewer calls at a time that is inconvenient for you, while you’re at work or in a noisy environment, arrange another phone meeting in the near future.

Ask for a Meeting
If you feel the interview has gone well, be confident and direct enough to request a face-to-face by saying, “Would it be possible for us to meet in person and continue our conversation? I’d really like to have the opportunity to meet you.” If the interviewer says no, or shies away from making a commitment, be sure you understand what the next step will be. Will they call if they want to meet you? Email? If you are out of the running, will they let you know? Taking the time to close the deal proves your competence once again. Understanding the next step will help you sleep easier at night -- always a good thing when you are on the job hunt.

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Keep Your Guard Up at the Interview

All the signals indicate the job is yours: You've endured hours of interviews, and now you're standing in front of the receptionist's desk with a potential colleague, engaging in harmless banter. The topic turns to your current job, and you tell her you can't wait to bail on your psycho manager and out-of-touch CEO.  

You've just shot your chances. Once word gets back to your potential employer about this "harmless" exchange, you're pegged as a malcontent.

"We're all human, and when things start feeling good, we let our guard down," says Dave Sanford, executive vice president of client services at recruitment firm Winter, Wyman & Co. "You can't let your guard down."

Interviews are fraught with opportunities to ruin your chances of landing an offer. Unless you're vigilant, you may sabotage yourself. Check out these tips to stay on your toes.

Don't Get Too Comfortable

Job seekers should not buy into the myth that they should just be themselves during an interview, according to career coach and Monster Interview Expert Marky Stein. "It's a highly ritualized form of interaction," Stein says. "If you think you're not under the most strict scrutiny, you're going to slip up."

Perhaps more than any other mistake, interviewees get too comfortable and lose sight of the fact it is an interview -- a delicate situation requiring a careful dance between the job seeker and interviewer. If you appear too relaxed, you may unintentionally create the impression you don't really care whether you get the job.

Too many people slump back in their chairs, perhaps thinking they look relaxed. "I recommend that people sit right at the edge of their chair," Stein says.

Sanford says job candidates often get too comfortable just at the wrong moment -- when they're getting signals the job is theirs. "What ends up happening is the candidate will start to move from ‘I'm on my best behavior' to thinking ‘the job is mine,' and they stop being deferential," he says. Deference is essential throughout the interview process. Don't act like the interviewer is your best buddy -- he's not.

Follow the First-Date Rule

"I consider an interview like a first date," Stein says. "Interviewees, thinking that they're getting sort of friendly, (sometimes) reveal distasteful things about themselves. Most people on their first date present the best foot forward." That means not telling interviewers about your health problems or financial woes.

Don't Babble or Ramble

When nervous, job seekers often talk too much, sometimes about the wrong things. To avoid rambling, you've got to practice, says Jenna Gausman, a career counselor with Kerwin and Associates. Think about drafting potential interview questions and even conducting a mock interview with a friend or relative.

Show Up Early

Too often, job seekers don't leave themselves enough time to visit the bathroom, check their hair and otherwise feel prepared. Career counselor Judith Gerberg suggests showing up 15 minutes early, giving yourself enough time to visit the washroom. Stretch and yawn, she says, in order to release any tension -- and decrease the likelihood of slip-ups.

Respect Everyone

"These days, people get feedback from whoever you've met," notes Gerberg. "If you're rude to anyone along the line, that will get back to the boss." So be nice to assistants, receptionists and everyone else you encounter along the way.

Don't Drink

Interviews sometimes are conducted over meals or at other social events, which might include alcohol. Never consume alcoholic beverages in interview situations, Stein recommends. You can say something like, "I drink on occasion, but I'll have an iced tea today." Alcohol inevitably makes you let your guard down -- just what you don't want to happen.

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Practice Makes Perfect: How to Rehearse for Your Next Job Interview

There are a lot of steps that usually happen before you get to the interview portion of your job search: writing a resume, networking, compiling your references. Most folks are able to put a lot of effort into getting the interview, but many fall apart during the actual interview. Why? Poor planning and a lack of practice. 

Instead of winging it, or relying solely on your professional skill set, you should stage a rehearsal for your next job interview.

Not sure how to go about doing so? Start by enlisting a family member, friend or partner to play the role of interviewer, and ask that she stay in character from start to finish. Set up a space, such as a desk or table, where you can create a suitable setting. Then use these 10 tips to from corporate trainer Marlene Caroselli to make your interviews -- both mock and real -- successful.

Do Your Homework
"Learn all you can about the organization in advance," advises Caroselli. Share this information with your mock interviewer, perhaps in the form of crib notes. She can use this to grill you.

Tune In
"Watch people being interviewed on television and make note of what works," she advises. Look for traits that make people likable and competent.

State the Unobvious
"Create one really intriguing statement about yourself," she says. "For example, a woman I know, expecting to be told, 'Tell us a bit about yourself [the most popular interview question],' replied, 'I think I should tell you I'm a nonconforming conformist.' She explained what she meant and wound up getting the job."

Think Outside the Box
A little visualization can go a long way, according to Caroselli, author of Principled Persuasion. "Think about a visual that really represents what you can do," she says. "It can be a photo taken at an event you organized, for example. If you have nothing that symbolizes your capabilities, then look for a pattern not readily apparent in your resume and be prepared to talk about that particular interest or talent, apart from your official work history."

Know Your Lines
Actors do it, and you should, too. "Memorize a few short quotes and have them ready," Caroselli says. "They'll help you respond articulately to virtually any question."

Sum It Up
The very first request an interviewer may make is, "Tell me about yourself." In order to answer this interview question quickly and succinctly, she urges interviewees, "Have an elevator speech ready in case they want a brief overview of your career."

Be Tough on Yourself
Research tough interview questions and provide them to your helper. Also, point out gaps in your skills or holes in your resume and instruct her to grill you on those points. "By comparison, your own, actual interview will seem like a walk in the park, and that prospect will encourage you," Caroselli says.

Capture It on Camera
"If possible, have someone video you doing an interview rehearsal," she says. "Then study your body language to see if it reveals confidence, poise and enthusiasm."

Listen Up
Close your eyes and listen back to the recording of your replies to interview questions. "Play the tape back and analyze your responses," she says. "Ask yourself, 'Would you hire you?'"

Stay Calm
Work on being relaxed before your big meeting. "When you get to the interview site and are waiting to be called in to the interview room, work on a brainteaser," Caroselli advises candidates. "Research shows it calms the nerves and takes your mind off the challenge ahead."

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