Here are the six key steps in interview preparation according to US News:
- Know the company
- Research the people
- Find an insider
- Know what's coming:
- Study your résumé
- Change your point of view
I have two comments on this list:
1. The above items are certainly valuable and are steps you should take before any interview. Doing so will leave you much better prepared and greatly increase your odds of success.
2. They've missed the most important tip (they hint at it but don't come outright and list it) -- prepare for your interview by rehearsing key questions until you have solid answers for every one of them. Doing so will ensure that you have great answers to all questions (be sure you quantify your accomplishments in each answer you can) and are able to deliver them flawlessly. This way, you'll not only look like you have a stellar work history but you'll also appear to be very well-spoken, a nice combination to have for almost any employer. And don't worry, if you rehearse a lot you won't sound canned. In fact, I've found that just the opposite holds true -- the more you practice your answers, the more comfortable and relaxed you are and the smoother the answers come out.
BTW, if you need some practice becoming smooth with your answers, I suggest taking some practice interviews.
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