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Five Presentation Musts for a Successful Job Interview

Autor Ryan

Everyone knows job interviews are important. But few job seekers know what information they must present in the meeting. Accomplish these during your job interviews, and you’ll dramatically increase your chances of getting a job offer:

Make a positive impression. Show up for interviews on time. Dress appropriately. Demonstrate a firm handshake. From that point, it’s all about your presentation. With every question you ask and answer, your words, tone, and body language tell a story. Before each interview, research the interviewer’s industry, company, and position; this will give you the confidence and knowledge you need to ask great questions and give impressive answers. Remember also to demonstrate your listening skills, show flexibility, and convey excitement.

Demonstrate your skills. A skill is simply the ability to execute some task or process with proficiency. Speaking in public, writing for publication, solving difficult problems, and building relationships are all examples of highly valued business skills. Of course, the skills most closely linked to bringing the desired results for your particular industry and job position are the ones that will most interest potential employers. Use the interview to demonstrate your skills and how you will use them to help the hiring manager’s team.

Answer difficult questions. Interviewers ask most questions for one of two reasons: to get an answer or to elicit a reaction. Most difficult questions fall into the latter category. They’re designed to elicit a reaction. To handle these questions with aplomb, prepare ahead of time. Make a list of difficult questions you expect, and devise an answer for each. For example, if you were downsized from your last job, expect to be asked about your current situation. Be prepared to answer the question positively and with the future in mind.

Demonstrate why the company should hire you. This is the part of the interview where you sell yourself. Mention the skills and related experience that have made you successful in the past. Parlay this into a description of how the very same skills and experiences will make you successful in the new position.

Follow up. Here is an easy way to stand out from the crowd. According to outplacement firm Lee Hecht Harrison, only 16 percent of all job applicants send thank-you notes to potential employers after interviews. When you follow up by letter or phone, you accomplish several things at once: you express appreciation for the meeting, you demonstrate your continued interest in the position, and you get your name before the employer one more time. At a recent pharmaceuticals industry seminar, a participant noted that when he sent a thank-you note following a first interview, he was invited back for a second meeting.