1. What Should You Do Before, During and After An Interview?

A. Preparation:

• Bring your resume, know what is on your resume & cover letter
• Learn as much about the place of employment
• Think about possible interview questions and how you plan to answer them
• Write down questions you would like to ask your potential employer
• Lay out what you will wear the night before, trim your nails
• Don’t eat something that would give off bad breath –remember to brush and use mouthwash
• Bring extra copies of your resume, references, portfolio, directions to the place, how long it will take to get there, plan your time and set your alarm!
• If you are unfamiliar with the place, plan to leave 10-15 minutes earlier

B. Presentation:

·        Eat lightly before an interview

·        Be sure to look professional as soon as you get there, you never know who is watching you.

·        Be courteous to everyone you meet on the way there

·        Don’t complain how hard it was getting into the parking lot or about the long elevator wait, or comment about the ugly décor etc.

·        Be sure to turn off your cell phone!

·        When entering the room, approach the receptionist confidentially

·        Stand or sit straight, shoulders back, don’t fold your arms

·        When greeting, give a nice and firm (not hard) handshake

·        Sit facing the interviewer

·        Look interested and animated and smile

·        Be sure to speak clearly and succinctly

·        Share your accomplishments rather than list your job experiences, these can be read on your resume

·        Give yourself time to think before replying. If you are stumped, just say:

     “That is a good question, let me think about it a minute” rather than

     “Darn, that is a toughie”

·        If you did not understand the question. It is best to be honest and ask if the person would rephrase or clarify what is meant.

·        If the interviewer seem disinterested, distracted, or does not seem to know what questions to ask; be prepared to offer information related to the work and ask questions about what is expected of an employee etc.

·        At the conclusion of the interview, thank the interviewer for his/her time

C. Perception:

·        The best way to know if your interviewer is getting what s/he needs to know is to ask questions:

·        Make certain you understand the question; ask clarifying questions or restate the question

·        Remember this job needs to suit both you and the employer so asking questions such as: "What are you looking for in a candidate to fill this role?" and if the answer does not match then perhaps this is not the right job for you.

·        Be honest, if you felt this is not the right match, speak up.

·        Remember the interviewer wants you to succeed. They want you to show them why you can succeed in their company. 

·        After the interview, email or send a thank you note thanking them for their time and how you enjoyed meeting them and learning more about their company etc.

From: Yahoo Hot Jobs: Mastering the Interview: Sean Bosker

2. The 6 Common Job Interview Questions:

1. What are your strengths and weaknesses? Or What did your previous employer suggest 

     as areas of improvement in your performance review?

·        It is best to list your strengths based on the needs of the job such as: “I am able to gauge and revise my communication method to match the client”

·        Don’t share information that you are an excellent Nintendo player or you always win at gambling!!

·        For weaknesses, share something and what you have done to improve on it. For example: “I have had a hard time reading fingerspelling, I find with practice doing the fingerspelling exercises on the internet; and figuring what was fingerspelled before the person has completed spelling helped me to improve in this area.”

2. Why did you leave your last job position?

·        It is best to be truthful, in your case, it is easy: You just completed studies to become an interpreter so you’re seeking a position in this field. 

·        Never badmouth a previous place of employment

3. "Can you describe a previous work situation in which you ... ?"

·        This is really a way for the employer to determine how you handle crisis or sticky situations. Your best bet is to think before answering. Use previous experiences to serve as examples how you handled a situation.

4. What is your ideal work environment?

·        Think broadly not just where and which site you prefer to work. This is a way for the employers to sense your habits. To determine how flexible you are with work schedules, diversity, & last minute requests and how creative you are.

5. How do you handle mistakes?

·        Best give one or two examples how you handled it in the past. Employers want to know if you have the maturity to be able to handle and accept responsibility for your mistakes.

6. What is your most notable accomplishment?

·        Think of three or four and quantify it with actions how it helped in your field.

From: Yahoo Hot Jobs: The 6 Common Interview Questions; Tom Musbach 2008

I usually ask: “After a year, how would you know if I am a successful candidate for this job?”