The Job Interview Support Center

Every person is unique, but when you face a challenge like a job interview, you are never alone.  Countless men, women and children have faced the need to go on a job interview and have survived and thrived.  The following guide is designed to help you navigate your journey with the best information and resources that helped others when they faced the same challenge. 

TSC has scoured the Internet and assembled links to the very best job interview resources: articles, blogs, forums and tools that can help you make better decisions and take action to overcome the range of practical, emotional and other challenges that you face.

As you’ll see, we always welcome your ideas and suggestions to make this Job Interview Guide even more helpful to people like you.   

JUST FOUND OUT 

Survivors Say: Best Resources for Job Interviews

• Job Interview.net
• QuintCareers: Job Interviewing Tutorial for Job-Seekers
  
• Key Pubs: Job Interview - Closing Tactic
  

The Big Picture

Job Interviews are a specific type of activity that you must learn to master in order to get a good job. Your job interview may involve a one-on-one conversation with a single person, or a "round robin" series of interviews with both management and workers from the team you would like to join. Your goal is not only to present yourself in a way that favorably impresses those interviewing you, but to convey the right information so the hiring manager feels confident that you can do the job for which you are interviewing. It is also important that you use the job interview to find out enough about the job, and the people with whom you would be working, to feel certain you want this job.

Best Job Interview: Everything You Need to Know to Succeed in Job Interviews

Your Job Interview

Very few people actually enjoy the process of job interviewing, but all of us who want a good job must do so. To succeed at your job interview, make it the culmination of several hours, or if necessary, several days of planning and preparation, plus additional time afterward to follow up with the hiring decision-makers.

• Resource Center: The Top 10 Tips For a Successful Job Interview 
• Career One Stop: Pathways to Career Success - Job Interviews

Your World

Like most difficult tasks, a job interview can cause a severe amount of stress that will greatly affect your everyday emotions. The best way to deal with an upcoming job interview is to approach it calmly and logically. If you have a mentor, or a friend or relative who is more experienced than you, consider asking for advice about your upcoming job interview.

For some information about handling your emotions in a job interview, consult this web site:

Kiehne-Neuberg: Emotions in a Job Interview?

Job Interview Myths

• All interviewers ask the exact same questions.
• All interviewers are looking for the exact same candidates.
• Interviewers are trying to "trick" candidates into revealing private or unflattering information. 

Information and Recommended Links for Job Interview Candidates

• Career Consulting Corner: Interviewing Tips
  
• Pre Job Interview: Preparing For a Job Interview: Questions, Answers, Tips 
• Women For Hire: Job Interview Preparation and Advice 

What Should You Do About Your Job Interview?

Find out all you can about the company that has invited you in for an interview

Here's a site that has descriptive information and names of key officers for public companies.

Hoovers: Company Information From Hoover's Including Business Reports and Profiles

Here's a  "Best of the Web" site providing company information intended for investors. But it's also helpful for job candidates who want to learn about a potential employer.

Corporate Information: Free Corporate Profiles on 31,000 Global Companies

Here's a site to obtain free company information on more than 60 million small- and medium-size businesses around the world, including address, number of employees, and estimated annual sales.

Manta: Company PRofiles & Company Information on Manta

Make sure you have your "story" prepared so you can convey all the important information you want to about yourself

Go over these basic suggestions on how to gear up to deliver a great job interview.

About: Job Searching - Job Interview Tips

Here's a fairly comprehensive discussion of techniques to help prepare you for your upcoming job interview.

College Grad: Competitive Interview Prep

Styles come and go, but these tips for how to dress for success in your job interview will carry you through the trendiest trends to a safe harbor you can rely on.

Virginia Tech: Career Services - Interview Attire

Follow up after your job interview.

The recruitment process doesn't finish when you leave the company's offices. Here are some specific steps you should take to increase your chances of job interview success.

Interview Stuff: Job Interview Follow Up Etiquette

It's frustrating when you go on a job interview and never hear from the company again. Here are some tips on how to handle this situation comfortably and effectively.

Job Bank USA: Ten Tips for the Interview Follow Up 

Creating a support circle

•    Set up your TSC Survivor Profile
•    Join support groups of other survivors or set up your own
•    Interact and provide updates on your profile or our forums

People who can help with your Job Interview

A career counselor can be invaluable in helping you feel more confident in your job interview. He or she can offer suggestions on how you present yourself, and what information about yourself is most compelling and impressive.

• Kansas Department of Social and Rehabilitation Services: Interview Assistance
  
• San Benito County: One Stop Career Center - Interviewing Assistance 

Resources to Find Professionals

• Job Bank USA: Career Counseling
  
• Just Click Local: Career Coaching
  

The Emotional Roller Coaster

Dealing with a job interview can be a mental and emotional challenge. Oftentimes, it will add a lot of unwelcome stress to your life. Educating yourself about job interviews can help you better handle the challenge. Some people find that preparing emotionally for the job interview is more difficult than the actual job interview. Beware of panicking under the stress of wanting to succeed and present yourself in the best possible light.

To avoid this, take good care of yourself in the days and weeks leading up to the job interview. Exercise. Eat well. Do your regular activities. Stay in contact with family, friends, and support groups. Think positively and prepare for the job interview according to the information in this TSC guide.

Books Survivors Recommend

• Job Interviews For Dummies
• Job Interview Tips for People With Not-So-Hot Backgrounds: How to Put Red Flags Behind You! (Career Savvy)
• Everything Job Interview Book: All You Need To Make a Great First Impression and Land The Perfect Job

What Job Interview survivors wish they'd known

Communicating with the Job Interviewer

• Prepare a list of questions and refer to it during the interview.
• Ask two types of questions:
• Those designed to gather information that's important to you.
• Those designed to reveal your own knowledge or understanding of the company's business.
  
• Don't be afraid to ask your questions, even if you're uncertain whether the interviewer has the answer or not. You need to know these things to decide if this job opportunity is right for you.
• Take notes on the answers – particularly the important facts and figures – so you don't have to ask the same question again later. 
• Be ready to ask for clarification on anything you don't fully understand.
  

Dealing with Job Interviews: Information for "Co-Candidates" for Job Interviews

How you can help

• Promote peace of mind and preparation. For example, instead of helping the candidate goof off or avoid getting ready for the interview, offer to work with him or her, or "role play" the interview a few times.
• Help your friend or family member by doing some of the "grunt work." Research online to find out about the company conducting the interview. Be helpful when the candidate picks an appropriate outfit for the interview. Travel with them to the site and wait outside to meet them when it's over.
• Steer conversation away from the negative. If the candidate wants to anticipate problems or failure in the interview, don't participate. Try to turn the conversation toward a more hopeful, positive direction.

What to Say

• "You can convince this person that you'd be great in this job."
• "This job interview is a great chance to share your knowledge and expertise in this area."
• "If you need any help in preparing for this interview, I'll be happy to help you any way I can."

What Not to Say

• "Another job interview? Forget it, they'll never hire you!"
• "Be careful not to put your foot in your mouth like last time."
• "You can't expect anyone to hire you when you look like that."

Helping a job interview candidate deal with day-to-day challenges

Offering day-to-day support is a great gift to give a friend or family member who is concerned about an upcoming job interview. You can help out by picking up a larger than normal share of the daily chores, or by providing a few special moments (a special meal, a few hours of relaxation, or sharing an important chore) for the job interview candidate.

Work - Many are concerned that having to leave work for a job interview could cost them their job. You can help shorten the time away from work by providing transportation to and from the job interview.

How to deal with interview stress

Yahoo: Hot Jobs - How to Deal with Interview Stress

Advice on dealing with interview stress

Ezine Articles: Advice on Dealing with Stress in Job Interviews

Your opportunity for a great job could be lost because you didn't handle the interview properly. Maybe you embarrassed yourself or created a problem that made the interviewer decide against hiring you.

But a bad job interview doesn't carry over to the next one. You can learn from each mistake and increase your chances of performing much better at your next job interview.

Of course, there might be only a limited number of "great" jobs in your field, and a bad job interview can wreck your chances of getting hired by one of the top employers you're aiming for. Even so, these bad impressions rarely last very long. You can go back for another job interview in the future and land the job you want at that time.

Helping A Job Interview Candidate Deal With Day-To-Day Challenges

Unemployment can be devastating. Here's some information to help:

From The Cope Loneliness Library: Coping with Job Loss

Positive thinking during unemployment:

Ezine Articles: Practical Positive Thinking 4 - Dealing with Unemployment