Now that you have written a resume that gets you interviews, what next? What can you do to increase the chances of turning an interview into a job offer? Below are 10 tips for acing the interview and walking away with an offer.

 

1. Show that you did your homework

As part of every interview, the interviewer will ask you about their company. Take a few minutes before the interview and review the company’s website for interesting tidbits you can mention during the interview. It shows you care.

 

2. Be clear why you want the job and what you can offer

Companies hire because they need something. Your job is to show why you (and not the other applicants) are the best fit. Arrive having 2 or 3 strong reasons why you are the best choice. Use the job post to know what they are looking for.

 

3. Have several questions for the interviewer

A job interview is a two-way street. Not only are they evaluating you, you are evaluating them. Ask questions to help you decide if you actually want to work there.

 

4. Do interview practice sessions

Practicing with mock interview sessions will go a long way towards helping you stay calm as well as looking knowledgeable. Practice common interview questions such as “what are your biggest weaknesses?” with a friend.

 

5. Stay focused during the interview

Staying on-track during the interview shows that you respect their time. Your questions and answers should be concerned with furthering the hiring process. Tangents should be avoided.

 

6. Keep it positive

An interview is not the time to air your grievances with former employers. In fact, don’t do it ever. Instead, take lessons learned from those experiences and show how you are now a better employee for having had the experiences.

 

7. Bring several printed copies of your resume to every interview.

Unfortunately, I am no longer surprised by having an interviewer arrive without having a copy of my resume with them. As a courtesy, and to show how responsible I am, I bring several extra copies to hand out just in case.

 

8. Remember to shine while talking about yourself

During every interview, the interviewer will give you a chance to talk about yourself. Make the most of this opportunity by showing how you will be valuable to them. Like interview questions, practice talking about yourself in terms of your value as an employee.

 

9. Stay in their minds after the interview

Often, there is very little difference between you and the other final candidates for a job. Give yourself an edge on the competition by following-up after the interview with a thank-you note. Thank them and mention something you remember from the interview. This will further differentiate you from the competition, and help set you apart in the interviewer’s mind.

 

10. Don’t give up!

I have had lots of ‘bad interviews’ where many of them had nothing to do with my performance. There are lots of reasons why a promising interview can go badly which are outside your control. Don’t give up. There are thousands of jobs out there and you are only looking for one of them. The odds are in your favor if you just keep interviewing.

 

As the tips above make evident, it is the little details that can make you stand out among all the other applicants. Standing out among nearly equally matched competitors can get you the job offer.

 

 

Good luck!