Interview Preparation Ideas
By Marty Robinson, CTC, CPC, President, Travel Career Network, Ltd.

GENERAL SUGGESTIONS
Be appropriately dressed and groomed for the job, company and industry culture. Be self assured enough to put the interviewer at ease. Sit and walk upright and look the interviewer in the eye. SMILE! Be concise, don't over-explain; ask "is that what you wanted to know?" Listen actively, show interest with your eyes and facial expressions.

PREPARE AN INTRODUCTORY VERBAL RESUME OF YOURSELF
Be prepared to answer questions about yourself, your goals, past accomplishments, etc. Demonstrate with concrete examples desire and enthusiasm to grow and learn, maturity and readiness to take on responsibility, positive attitudes toward management, commitment and involvement-doing more than job requires.

LISTEN TO THE COMPANY EXPLANATION OF THE POSITION, THEIR OPERATION, MAJOR RESPONSIBILITIES, ETC.
Your goal should be to find out as much as possible about the position, it's responsibilities, and the company's overall goals, challenges, history, and senior management.

RELATE YOUR EXPERIENCE AND BACKGROUND TO THE POSITION DESCRIBED
Give specific examples of achievements at work, focused on results not activity--about 1 minute each.
Show how you can provide the employer with a return on his investment by hiring you-how you can add measurable value to the company.
Show your knowledge of the industry-personal contacts, products, the marketplace, technical language and industry practices.
Phrase your reason for leaving your current position in a positive manner.

ASKED PREPARED QUESTIONS ABOUT COMPANY, POSITION, ETC.
Ask about relevant issue----job responsibility, management practices, assignments of co-workers, performance reviews, etc.

CLOSE INTERVIEW
Get a commitment to the next step, where do we go from here, etc. Ask if you can provide additional background on yourself.

ALWAYS FOLLOW UP WITH A THANK YOU NOTE TO THE INTERVIEWER

DON'T
1. Be too aggressive or arrogant
2. Apologize for all of your shortcomings
3. Argue with your interviewer
4. Avert your eyes; slouch; mumble
5. Fiddle with your hair, glasses, pen, or clothing
6. Criticize former employees, bosses or co-workers