We’ve listed a variety of tips for the most important part of any job search – the interview. These tips are designed to place you in the best possible position to succeed. Keep in mind, a little confidence goes a long way. Overall the most important thing to remember about interviews is to

• prepare in advance,
• and then actively listen during the interview.

Eye contact, posture and body language are all important components of a successful presentation. Yet if you can’t answer or ask questions effectively, you’ll never get the job you want.

The more prepared you are, the more confident you are. The more confidence you convey, the more likely you are to win the job.

Many of these tips work best in conjunction with one another. Answers to questions you ask about the job should be targeted to address any objections the interviewer might have.

At KBW Financial Staffing & Recruiting, we will help any candidate prepare for an interview at no additional charge!


Interview Preparation checklist:

	Name, Title and contact number of person you are meeting
	Address
	Notes on organization
	Highlights you want to discuss
	Questions, questions, questions
	Don’t forget your resume

• First impressions count: dress appropriately, be on time and be pleasant.
• Everyone you meet in the organization is important. Do not discount your interaction with an administrative assistant while waiting. Their input could help or hinder your process.
  
• Hiring managers are evaluating your:
  
  • abilities (can you do the job?)
    
  • motiviation (will you do the job?)
    
  • personal qualities (will you fit in?)
• Practice your Active Listening skills! The information obtained in your interview using Active Listening is the key to developing a base of knowledge from which you can answer all your interview questions
  
  • Often when people talk to each other, they don’t listen attentively. They are often distracted, half listening, half thinking about something else. When people are engaged in a conflict, they are often busy formulating a response to what is being said. They assume that they have heard what their opponent is saying many times before, so rather than listen intently, they focus on how they can respond to win the argument. Active listening is a way of listening and responding to another person that improves mutual understanding.
    
  • Active listening is a structured form of listening and responding that focuses the attention on the speaker. The listener must take care to attend to the speaker fully, and then repeats, in the listener’s own words, what he or she thinks the speaker has said. The listener does not have to agree with the speaker--he or she must simply state what they think the speaker said. This enables the speaker to find out whether the listener really understood. If the listener did not, the speaker can explain some more.
    
  • Paraphrasing, restating and the use of empathy are common approaches to Active Listening.
• Answer all questions positively! Learn more tips to answering common interview questions.