Being interviewed is tough. Preparing for the interview might be tougher. There is no going back after you’ve entered a room, shaken the hand of the hiring official, and sat down. Here are some tips to help you bring your full potential into a room with you at your next interview.

• Do research. This applies for any meeting you ever go into ever again. Always understand as much as you can about the other people in the room, their company, and what the world thinks of them. The more you know going in, the more power you have to engage in dialogue rather than answering questions in an interrogation.
• Practice. This means practicing your elevator speech. Even high ranking officials take the time to develop a pitch and practice it until they know it backwards and forwards. It is your selling tool, make it count. All the other answers to typical interview questions probably don’t need to be rehearsed like your elevator speech, but you should go over them in your head with comprehensive answers.
• Power pose. There is research supporting power posing as an effective tool for presenting yourself in an assertive rather than passive manner. Assertive people are more likely to be remembered and called back in interviews. It works like this: take 2 minutes before your interview, go somewhere by yourself and open your body up. Stay in your “power poses” for 2 minutes. You might stand with your legs apart and your hands on your hips or any number of positions that evoke power. You will feel silly. Try it anyway.

Take the time to prepare your materials and pick out your clothes prior to your interview. Use a firm handshake, and ask questions that you need answered in person. Then, follow up immediately afterward with an email and with a handwritten note within the week. All of these tips will help you stand apart from the crowd and increase your chance of success.

Contact us today and let our team of professionals help you win everyone at your interview!