What do you need to work on to improve your interviewing skills?

Welcome to Careers 101. In this segment you will be introduced to tips and strategies to follow before, during, and after interviewing. You will learn how to dress, handle tough questions, and follow up after your next interview. The more prepared you are, the better chance you will have to attain the position that you desire.

What to wear.
According to Kim Zoller at Image Dynamics, 55% of how an interviewer perceives you is based on how you look. So according to this study, over half of their perception is based on your appearance. Looking good for your interview plays such a pivotal role when trying to land a job. Listed below are tips for both men and women to follow while dressing for their upcoming interview.

• Wear solid and conservative colors, whites & blues are best
• Coordinate your blouse or tie with your shirt, also solid and conservative
• Have a neat and professional hairstyle
• Hide all tattoos and limit the amount of jewelry that you wear
• Use sparse amounts of perfume or cologne

Never:

• Wear cuff links, or bow ties
• Flashy ties and shirts, pin stripes
• Guys:  No earrings
• Chew gum

Handling the tough questions.
While interviewing, you will be faced with some very intricate and personal questions relating to your previous experience and education. It is common for interviewers to ask questions that are designed to catch you off guard and to see how you respond spur of the moment. If you put sufficient time into your interview preparation, you will not be as surprised with the questions that they ask. Below are some of the most common and difficult interview questions you may have seen or will see in the future.

• Tell me about yourself? This is an open ended question that the interviewer may ask. It is intended to learn more about who they are speaking with. Think about your past experiences and knowledge on your topic. Be sure to include some of your best attributes as they adhere to the position that you are interviewing for.

• What is your greatest weakness? This is one of the toughest interview questions that people are faced with. Personally, I feel that this is one of the make or break questions in an interview. Typically people say to answer this question with a weakness that you are currently working to improve. Example: "I am very confident in my abilities and sometimes I do not listen to others the way I should. Recently I have been focused on becoming a better listener. I am trying to mesh other people's ideas with my own."

• What characteristics do great managers/supervisors possess? When interviewers ask you this question, think about what great supervisors truly do. Use words like, motivate, vision, and commitment when answering. This question is designed to stimulate some of the things that you look for in a manager, as well as some of the management characteristics that you may possess.

• Are you a team player? This type of interview question enlightens the interviewer about your team building skills. If you have examples working with teams use those to your advantage. Use instances where  you were the leader of the group and had to delegate some sort of direction to your other teammates. This will show the interviewer that you are not afraid be a leader as well as an great teammate.

Following up after the interview
After the interview has taken place it is always a nice gesture to send some sort of follow up material. It is up to you how you would like to reach the intended party. A letter as well as an email is acceptable. Stay away from phone calls or text messages. Be sure to thank them for making time for you in their busy schedules. Reassure them that you are looking forward to hearing from them in the near future. Not only does this show that you care about your career, but if they are having trouble making a decision for the position and the other person did not follow up, you may very well be the employee of choice.

Hopefully these tips help you in your upcoming and future endeavors. I am sure if you work on some of these things you can indeed become very good at interviewing. Remember, the more practice you have, the better interviewer you will become.