Strong and Natural

The interview begins the moment you enter the room. Walk in standing tall with your head held high and keep your presentation professional but natural. Greet the recruiter with a firm handshake - not weak, but not a bone-crusher either.

Good Posture

More than likely, the interviewer will invite you to have a seat. Make use of the entire chair and avoid sitting on the edge; this will make you look nervous. Sit straight up with your back flush against the chair and look the interviewer directly in the eye.

Know How to Express Yourself

Natural movement such as hand gestures show great passion and energy on your part. However, a mellow recruiter might be turned off by too much movement. As always, you want to appear natural, but may have to tone it down a bit here.

Every interview is a learning experience. Although you can’t always predict the outcome, you can better your chances by practicing good body language and remaining calm and confident.

What you do after landing an interview weighs heavy on whether or not you get the job. The suggestions below will prepare you for the interview and give you the best possible chance of getting hired.

Bring Copies of Your Paper Work

Always bring backup copies of your resume and cover letter. These important details should be studied just before heading into the interview. This will allow you to easily point out your qualifications to the recruiter.

Early Bird Gets the Job
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We’re not suggesting that you arrive two hours, or even an hour early. However, you need a little time to get yourself together. Try to arrive about ten to fifty minutes early. This will give time to check in with the receptionist, find out exactly what you need to do and perhaps even get a closer your look at your potential new place of work.

Stay Calm

The interview process can be very stressful but you should try to relax before the recruiter has a chance to apply the pressure. You can practice this the night prior to your interview with a few breathing exercises. When those tough questions are presented, you’ll be ready for them.

Summary

Here is where you list your qualifications. Be sure to list qualities that are relevant to the position and impress the interviewer without overdoing it. If you’re applying for a sales position, your auto-mechanics certificate doesn’t need to be mentioned.

Employment

While it’s a good idea to list of your previous jobs, you especially want to highlight those that relate to the position in question. Omit any insignificant or brief gaps that may indicate that you you’re a job-hopper.

Two-section Approach

In general, all great resumes are composed of two sections. In the first part you’ll list abilities and achievements that represent your qualifications. In the section second is where you back up these assertions with solid evidence in the way of your employment history and attributes.

Full details can be found here.

# 1 - One-page rule - In truth, overall quality is more important than length. If you’re concerned about length, add a few extra pages to serve as an addendum and you’ll be just fine.

# 2 - It’s okay to lie - lying on your resume is the ultimate “no-no”. If you do get the job, there’s a great chance that the employer will check your references later, leading to termination or worse.

# 3 - You need an objective - though it wouldn’t hurt, an objective is not required. Many of them merely contain generic information the employee has seen on hundreds of resumes.

# 4 - You need references on the resume - contrary to several myths, your references do not have to be listed on the resume itself. Usually, a separate sheet is added to serve as the reference page.

# 5 - A broad resume is suitable for all jobs - this may be the case if you’re specifically looking for work in the warehouse field. Just don’t go advertising your experience as a hi-lo driver when you’re applying for a telemarketing position.

- Keep your references alert - let your references know they that may be receiving a phone call from a potential employer. If not, they might be caught off guard and possibly ruin your chances of getting hired.

- Keep looking for jobs - even if you gave your best at the interview, you should always continue the job search. Keep landing interviews until you find the right job.

- Scratch the back of your head - this type of gesture will make you appear disinterested to the interviewer. If your head is itching, tough it out for a few more minutes.

- Scratch or rub your nose - some recruiters see this as a sign of dishonesty. Aside from that, it’s totally gross.

- Sit with your arms folded - this suggests that you’re either unfriendly or have a major attitude going on. No one wants to hire a grump or a know-it-all.

- Slouch down in your seat - posture is very important. Slouching back in your seat doesn’t make you look cool but disinterested and unprofessional.

- Constantly look at the clock or the door - sure, ready to get it over with, but you want to give the recruiter your full attention. Keeping your sight on the clock or even the door indicates that you’re not all that interested.

Sit up straight - posture is critical. Be sure that you’re sitting upright and lean slightly forward to show your interest and engagement in the interview process.

Maintain your enthusiasm - you can show your enthusiasm by giving simple nods and positive gestures here and there. After all, you’re a job candidate, not a bobblehead figure.

Keep your distance - respect the personal space of the interviewer. Anything closer than 20 inches could make them uncomfortable and serve as a distraction.

Prepare for interruptions - if the interviewer receives a phone call or someone walks in on the session, keep your cool and wait for them to finish. You never want to fidget in your seat and act
is if you’re too important for an interruption. You could extend courtesy by displaying your willingness to leave and give them a bit of privacy.

End the interview like a professional - when the interview concludes, always stand, smile and end the interview on a positive note with a firm handshake.

How bad do you want that dream job? Even with all the determination in the world, you might not get it without the proper attire. According to a recent article in the U.S.A. Today, far too many candidates still haven’t learned the importance of dressing for success. The article revealed how a few applicants showed up to interviews wearing sneakers, spike heels, jogging pants, and even worse, sagging pants. Some went as far as exposing tattoos and body piercings. Needless to say, many of those candidates costs themselves a good a job.

Appearance plays a big role in the conservative business environment. However, even if the actual job doesn’t necessarily require a professional presentation, it’s important to look your best when showing up for an interview. Here are a few tips for both men and women:

Mens Attire

- Long sleeve button up shirt

- A conservative tie

- Dress shoes, dark socks

- Neat hairstyle

- Neat, close shave

- Little to no jewelry

- Briefcase or portfolio

Women’s Attire

- Professional suit, solid color

- Color coordinated blouse

- Professional shoes, moderate heels

- Light colored hosiery

- Professional hairstyle

- Light perfume and make-up

- Manicured fingernails, mild colors

- Little jewelry

- briefcase or portfolio

Being prepared doesn’t just go for the interview. Oh, no. You have to stay prepared. Don’t just drag into work each day not really sure what you’re supposed to be doing. Learn about your job. What do people in other companies that have your same job do? Are there tips and tricks that you could learn from them that would work well for you? As long as you’re not giving out company secrets and information, there’s no reason why you can’t talk to others who do the same kind of work for other people.

Ask questions of them, and ask questions of the people who work above, below, and around you. That’s how you learn! If you do that, it won’t be long before you advance and people will be asking questions of you.