You've heard it before, you need to prepare for the interview. Research the company, find out who you're interviewing with, and review the typical interview questions people tend to ask. These are important and — you should prepare further. Go beyond this basic interview prep. Here’s one way to do this:

Think about the 5 key points you want to get across during the interview. You may assume that the prospective employer runs the show during an interview. Most people think that’s the case, but it’s not 100% accurate. You get to drive the agenda of the meeting more than you think. Don’t be passive about prepping for your interviews, trying to guess what they might ask you. Be pro-active and consider the 5 key things you want them to know about you! Write down the answers to the following questions: Why would you be the ideal candidate for the job? What are your best qualities and accomplishments that are relevant to this position? What unique talents and abilities do you bring to the table?

Then be pro-active during the interview. Make sure you communicate your 5 key points by giving specific examples that illustrate each one. On the day of the interview, two things can potentially happen. One, the interviewer will ask you specific questions where you can simply "slant" your responses around the points you planned to mention. Or, two, you'll end up talking about other things – but when the time comes that they ask for your questions or thoughts, you can use this opportunity to make your points. Write them down and have them in front of you if you'd like. There's nothing wrong with that. Remember, the interview is a two way street. You are also interviewing them to make sure the job is the right fit for you.

Do you need more interviewing help? Join us for our next Job Search Teleclass “Stop Spinning in Your Job Search: 3 Ways to Get Ahead of the Traffic” on Friday July 17th at noon ET. Click here to learn more: www.halliecrawford.com/jobsearch.html

Hallie Crawford
Certified Career Coach