What are the key factors in NAILING an Interview? The difference between going on an interview and nailing an interview can be summed up in one word, Preparation.
Learn about the company, the position and the general business of the corporation for which you are interviewing, the better you can prepare, the more you can impress the interviewer and demonstrate how you can contribute to the success of their organization. By the end of the interview you must answer a key question in the mind of the interviewer: why should we hire you above all other qualified candidates?
Don't Rely on the Interviewer
The person conducting the interview may not always be a good interviewer; they may never have been taught how to properly conduct an interview, they may be having a bad day, or may be up against a deadline. In the end, you don't really know so don't leave it up to the interviewer to ask you the "right questions" and give you the opportunity to get the vital points of your career and achievements across.
Instead, PREPARE for your answers (do not memorize) but review or outline the key points you want to verbalize during the interview.
Know What Points You Want to Emphasize
This means doing your homework. What do you want the interviewer to know about you? Make sure you work those points into your responses.
When asked about their strengths, most candidates will say the first thing that comes to their mind; usually something as lame as: "I'm definitely a people-person and I really work hard." Think about it: how many people will ever say, "I'm terribly hostile to others, I take long lunches, and I really don't like it when my boss expects much from me."
No one, of course, but if you don't prepare in advance for this question, you will most likely say something equally as frivolous as the "people-person" response. Think instead of what you definitely want the interviewer to know: that you successfully developed and implemented your current employer's IT system recovery plan...that you achieved 153% of your quota...that you initiated the recertification of ISO 9000 qualification process, etc.
It is also recommended that you pursue as many interviews as you possibly can, even if you have no intention of accepting the position. This gives you the opportunity to polish your interviewing skills and work through nervousness.
