Tips for a job interview

The fact is, a job search is very much like a marketing campaign. It's a numbers game, and you will have you best chance of landing a great job if you can put yourself through as many interviews as possible.

However, there are things you can do to improve your chances. The job interview success tips below can help you be as prepared as possible.

1. Be well prepared
Plan your strategy--your answers to all the possible questions you may be asked or the challenges that may be thrown at you--and then practice, practice, practice. Role play and repeat your best responses until they are entirely natural. The best single resource I've found with preparation tips for a job interview is this interview guide.

2. Be very clear on your goals
Hiring a new employee involves an enormous investment of resources, and making a mistake can be very costly. Companies try to maximize their hiring decisions by looking for employees who will add additional value down the road as their career grows and matures. Make sure you convey both long-term and short-term career goals during your interview.

3. Support your resume with concrete examples
Anyone can write an impressive resume, and many employers will assume you've exaggerated some of your accomplishments on paper. You want to make sure that every story you tell supports the glowing things you've written about yourself.

4. Know how to discuss your weaknesses
When an interviewer asks you to describe a weakness, he/she is looking for a few specific things. Are you arrogant? (I have no weaknesses.) Are you introspective? (Gee, I never thought about that before...) Most importantly, how do you approach challenges? You answer to this question should acknowledge something you're challenged by, but mainly focus on what strengths you have leveraged to overcome your limitations.

5. Be ready for a discussion of salary
There are a variety of resources on the web that will help you research the salary range for your position in advance. Try to avoid discussing salary if at all possible, ideally until you are offered the job. However, most interviewers will insist that you give them a number during the meeting. The best thing you can do at this point is know the range of compensation for the job you're seeking, make your own realistic determination of what you're worth, and then be prepared to stand your ground.

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