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2 Nail the Job Interview!

ments, asking intelligent questions, and handling the interview situation
with ease and confidence. But that’s not what most candidates do.
Instead, they quicldy discover they are unprepared for many critical job
interview questions, and they fail to ask important questions about the
job and the employer. While ostensibly well qualified to do the job, they
male many interview errors (see Chapter 3) that lcnoclc them out of the
final competition. Failing to focus on what’s most important to winning
the job, they communicate the wrong message to employers - they really
are not “fit” for the position. Much of this communication problem is
found in how they answer important interview questions.

From Apprehension to Anticipation

What are the first thoughts that come to mind as you contemplate a job
interview? Joy? Relief? Fear? Apprehension? Is the surge of joy you feel
at having a chance at the job - an opportunity to demonstrate to the
interviewer that you are the person who should be hired - overshadowed
by feelings of nervousness? Do your fears of sweaty palms, a dry mouth,
churning stomach, and wobbly knees leave you less than enthusiastic? If
your answers to these questions are “yes, ” you have lots of company, and
lots to learn.
Since a successful job interview is a prerequisite for most jobs, it makes
sense to find ways to turn interview apprehension into interview anti-
cipation. That’s what this book is all about - making sure you leave the
job interview a winner. Your goal should be to nail the job interview by
sufficiently impressing the interviewers who will then offer you the job.

Interviews Count the Most

Interviews don’t just count - they count the most. Tale yourself back a
few weeks. Maybe you wrote a terrific resume and cover letter, networked
with the right people, got yourself invited to the interview through sheer
persistence, or just had a stroke of good luck. Whatever methods you
used, congratulations; you are a “winner” at this stage of the job search.
You’ve become successful at what others only dream of achieving -
grabbing the interest and attention of employers who decide it’s now time
to see you in person. They need to further evaluate your qualifications to
determine if you will fit into their organization.