Andrew Reiffenberger Reveals 5 Tips for Landing Any Job

When you get a response to a job application that you have made, your first reaction is to feel a thrill of excitement. Now you have a real chance to make that switch that you have been dreaming of for a long time. Top recruiting expert and blogger, Andrew Reiffenberger, shares his insider tips to nailing any job interview. If you are trying to get your first job, the exhilaration that you will feel will be even greater.

But it is quite likely that your initial euphoria will soon be replaced by another emotion. Many candidates experience feelings of stress and anxiety before their job interview.

Do you have the skills and knowledge that the job requires? More importantly, will you be able to convince the interviewers that you are the best candidate for the vacancy that they have advertised?

You will have about an hour, possibly less, to prove that you have all the qualities that the company is looking for. What can you do to ensure that you have the best chance of getting selected?

Here are five steps that you can take to boost your odds of getting the job.

1. Take your time to answer

You don’t have to blurt out your reply the moment the interviewer has stopped speaking. Listen carefully to the question and make sure that you understand it. It’s perfectly acceptable to seek a clarification if you think that you need one.

Think about what you are going to say. A gap of a few seconds between the question and your reply is quite all right.

Remember that you are not the main focus of the interview. Instead, the people interviewing you want to know whether you can solve the problem that they have. Keep this in mind when answering their questions.

Your reply should directly address the query that has been raised. But you should not stop there. Extend your answer to include a prior work situation that you have faced that illustrates that you have the skills for the job at hand.

For example, you may be asked about your previous job. You don’t have to explain everything that you did in great detail. Spend more time talking about the activities that will help you perform the work that the new job requires.

2. Do your homework

There’s no excuse for going to an interview with a company that you intend working for without first reading up on it. There are many places that you can gather information about your prospective employer.

Start with the company’s website. Remember to go beyond the home page. If there is a section about the division that has posted the job vacancy, make sure that you read it carefully.

Do you know the name of the person who will be conducting the interview? A quick search on LinkedIn will probably give you a great deal of information.

It is also a good idea to set up a Google Alert with the company’s name. This will give you updates on the latest developments in the company. If you can use any of this information during the interview, you will come across as well informed and as a person who has taken the trouble to learn about the organization.

3. The interview starts earlier than you think

You’re nervous and you’re riding in the elevator up to the company’s 15th floor office. It’s crowded and you brush against someone and don’t bother to apologize. When you reach the interview room, you see that the person that you had behaved rudely with is your interviewer.

Consider another scenario. You are running late for your interview and you make it to the reception area with just a few minutes to spare. Impatiently, you tell the receptionist that you are there for the interview.

Don’t think that your behavior will be observed only in the interview room. The manner in which you conduct yourself from the moment that you enter the building is important.

4. Handling stress

It is natural to feel a certain degree of anxiety before an interview. You are going to be asked a whole lot of questions by people who you have never met before. You have only a limited amount of time to speak about your accomplishments and your strengths. Additionally, you have to find a way to reply to the questions that you are asked while at the same time including the information that you want to convey.

Just thinking about all this is enough to make anyone nervous. But the good news is that your stress can actually help. It provides you with the ability to concentrate and reply in the best possible manner.

Of course, if you are literally paralyzed with fear and cannot think coherently, you have little chance of getting the job. Here are some ways to manage your stress levels:

• Need a moment to compose yourself or manage your thoughts? Rephrase the question and ask if that is what the interviewer means.
• If you gave an incorrect reply or missed out on an important point, there is no harm in referring to the earlier question and adding to your answer.
• Stumped by a tricky question? Say, “That’s an interesting question. May I have a few seconds to think about it?” Then provide an answer that is somehow linked to your strengths and expertise.

5. Don’t forget to prepare for the first question

It is highly likely that the interviewer will ask you to introduce yourself and talk about your work experience. This will probably be the first question that you will be asked.

Rehearse what you are going to say. Practice with a friend or at least jot down the main points that you want to cover. You should lay stress on those areas of your past work experience that are relevant to the job you are interviewing for.

Give them a reason to hire you

You have a better chance of being hired if you come across as well prepared and someone who has made an effort to learn about the company.

Andrew Reiffenberger warns that it is also important to learn as much as you can about the role that you are being considered for. You should use this information to tailor your answers to convince your interviewers that you have the skills and abilities to carry out the job in a competent manner.