[MUSIC] As you know, a crucial part of the job hunting process is the formal job interview and the secret of good job interviewing is good presentation. This requires preparation and skilled communication. A good recruiter will want to evaluate qualities you've not revealed in your resume. What are these? To start with, your behavior, personality, values and career plans i in the short and long-term and then he or she may go on to what motivates you. If you're a good fit for the job, what are your ambitions? How well do you communicate? And so on, you get the picture. So you know you have to prepare for your interview, what must you do? Here are a few basic pointers. Maintain an updated resume with experience and skills that support your objective or summary. Exhibit good grooming, poise, enthusiasm and confidence. And choose tasteful, appropriate, conservative and professional attire. There are three stages for every interview process. They are the before, the during and the after. Let's look at the first stage before the interview. One, assess yourself. Do you know your strengths and weaknesses before you walk in the door? Do you know where you might fit into this organization? Find out and be sure. Two, read employer literature. Do you know about the company's mission, employment opportunities and products and services? Yes? Communicate what you know at some point of the interview. And three, verify the particulars. Do you know the exact time and place of the interview? Make sure you arrive at least ten minutes early. Do you know the recruiters name, including how to pronounce it and his or her title? Do what research you can before you meet him or her? The second stage is during the interview. One, sell yourself. Instead of answering questions, illustrate your personal qualities and strongest abilities with examples from your past. Try to address any underlying questions do you think the recruiter might have about your suit ability for the job. Two, keep him on her focus on your resume. Let him or her determine if your skills are a good fit for the position and company and this is where you ask questions, which brings us to point three. Always have your own questions to ask and let them be meaningful. Four, be positive. Explain failures or short comings with what you learned from the experience rather than give excuses or blame others. Be honest and candid. And five, be aware of your body language. This is critical. Sit up straight. Don' t let your hands or feet give away your nervousness. Dress professionally. Shake hands firmly. Smile at the recruiter. Keep your eye contact steady. Be optimistic and confident. Bright and alert. The last digits you followup after the interview, has the recruiter asked for credentials references and transcripts? Provide them, just as soon as you can. Be sure to write down his or her name, title and address and write a thank you letter for the interview opportunities. If you forgot to say something, say it now. And last but not least, remind the recruiter of just how good you are. Your qualifications, your strengths and your perfect fit for the job. And now for telephone interviews, here too are a few things you need to keep in mind. Don't rumble. If a recruiter calls unexpectedly for a phone interview, either try to schedule an appointment for the interview or simply excuse yourself politely and offer to callback in five minutes. This gives you the advantage in knowing how you would like to structure the call in terms of points you want to cover. Trigger words on a note pad or on posts it area great idea too. These will help you get your points across. And finally, follow up the telephone interview with a thank you letter just as you would for a regular interview. [MUSIC]
