So, you’ve been selected to attend the job interview.  The good news is that at this point, you know you’ve made a good enough impression to land you an opportunity to get a foot-in-the-door to meet the employer face-to-face.  Please review the tips provided below as this information will help you to continue making a positive impression.

• Practice!  Review commonly asked interview questions and practice your responses to those questions.  Ask a friend or family member to help you.  Or, take advantage of your college’s career services staff and/or local workforce development agencies that will be able to help prepare you by completing a mock interview with you.

• Know your skills and reflect on experiences where you’ve applied them.  It won’t be enough to simply tell the employer what skills you have.  You’ll need to describe how you’ve applied those skills in other jobs and/or other experiences, such as school, volunteer work, etc.

• Research!  Research the company’s history, products and services, culture, market position, community involvement, etc.  You will be asked what you know about the company you are interviewing with and failure to know something will create a very bad impression for the employer.

• Dress professionally.  This means that pretty much everything about how you look on the day of the interview should be conservative.  Your clothing, make-up, jewelry, hair, perfume/cologne, etc. should be professional, conservative and simple.

• Arrive ten minutes early.   This is the perfect amount of time to arrive to the interview.  Arriving any sooner presents some potential problems that may arise merely out of perception on the employer’s part.  If you arrive too early (20-30 minutes) it may appear that you are desperate for the position.  Also, the employer may feel rushed when they are notified that you have arrived for the interview extra early.

• Be sure to greet the receptionist or person greeting you just as you would if you were greeting the person interviewing you for the job.  Receptionists have a lot of power!  Often, they are a key decision maker in the interview process.  Furthermore, be courteous to everyone you meet.  Your first impression is not only with the person interviewing you; it is with the very first person you come into contact with when you arrive for your interview and each person you meet during the interview process.  Be polite and courteous and be sure to make friendly small talk as you wait for your interview to begin.

• Be sure to bring a folder with a pad of paper, three to five copies of your resume and references, letters of recommendation, and a pen to take notes. Even if you never use this information in the interview, it will show the employers that you are prepared and professional.  On your pad of paper, you should write three to five questions you’d like to ask of the employer toward the end of the interview.

• Observe your surroundings as you’re waiting for the interviewer to come out to the lobby and greet you.  Read any company signage, brochures or displays and/or observe the interactions between the office staff.  Remember, this is your chance to find out if they’re the right fit for you too.  Also, you may discover another question to ask during the interview based on what you learned from your simple observations.

When you take the time to prepare for the interview, you will be much more confident in your ability to interview effectively and make a positive impression.