by Greg W Huffman

Created on: August 02, 2010   Last Updated: August 03, 2010

Would you participate in a shoot-out if your gun was empty?  Probably not.  The same principle applies to a job interview.  You should never walk into a job interview unprepared.  You don't have to attain six college degrees to ace a job interview.  There are simple things that you can do to improve your interviewing prowess.  Let's take a look at some of the ways you can improve your interview techniques.

Pre-Interview Preparation

Practice confident speaking skills and maintaining eye contact while speaking.  You can practice this with a friend or colleague.  Have a friend prepare mock interview questions and practice answering  the questions with confidence.

Dress For Success

Make sure that your interview apparel is appropriate for the type of job you are interviewing for.  Get advice from people in the field in which you are interviewing for.  They should be subject experts on what type of clothing is appropriate for your interview.  When in doubt, dress professional.  It is better to be over-dressed for your job interview than it is to look inappropriate.

Punctuality

Show up for your job interview at least 45 minutes early.  Employers will notice that you are punctual and it will be the first feather in your interview cap.  This is also the point where you throw out chewing gum or any type of candy you have in your mouth.  Chewing anything in your mouth during an interview is unprofessional.  If you are a smoker, try not to smoke past this point.  You don't want to go into your interview smelling like a cigarette butt.

The Interview

Shaking the hand of your interviewer should be the first thing you do.  Make the handshake as firm as you can without making it look like you are struggling to break their hand.  While shaking their hand, thank them for the opportunity to participate in the interview process.  This conveys to the interviewer strength and professionalism.

Keep your answers short and to the point during the question and answer process.  Use terms such as "sir" and "ma'am" when addressing the interviewer.  This should be especially easy for ex-military personnel.  Using "sir" or "ma'am" conveys respect toward your interviewer. 

Answer all questions confidently.  If you don't know the answer to a particular question, don't make the mistake of rambling for an answer.  Tell the interviewer that you don't know the answer to their question, but you are willing to find the answer and you are willing to learn.

Don't fidget and speak with your hands.  Keep your hands on your lap and sit erect.  Maintain eye contact at all times with the interviewer.  I'm not telling you to look like a robot.  I am telling you that the appearance of your professionalism will speak for itself.

Post Interview

After the interview is complete, shake the hand of your interviewer again.  Thank them again for the interview opportunity and tell them that you can't wait to hear from them again.  This promotes confidence that the interview went well [whether it did or not].  You are subliminally placing in their head that you thought the interview went well.

Give these techniques a try and you will improve the chances of getting the job exponentially.

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