It is not easy to overcome the poor habits we may have picked up over time. The best you can do is to be fully aware of how you are behaving doing an interview and not allow any mistakes in etiquette

Make A Practice Run.

If you are travelling to a place you are unfamiliar with (assuming it is within driving distance) make the trip beforehand to see how long it takes. This practice trip should be made near the same time of the day as your interview so that you will be able to judge such factors as traffic. If you are traveling from out of town and arriving the night before, you should become familiar with how to find the location the night before the interview. It may be worth your while to take a taxi ride past the building to get a better sense of the distance away and the time it takes to get there. Ask the driver how long such a trip would normally take around the time of the interview.

Arrive Early.

While you should arrive at the interview itself 15 minutes early, arrive near the interview location 30-60 minutes beforehand. Go to a coffee shop and relax for a few minutes. You can read a paper or go over your resume. After you have relaxed and mentally prepared yourself for the interview, head for the interview itself, ensuring that you arrive 15 minutes early.

Park In A Parking Garage.

You have arrived early, don’t mess it up by circling the block a dozen times to find cheap or free parking. The few dollars you spend in order to park will be a small investment in helping you get the job.

Okay, in spite of all this you still find yourself running late. If you find yourself in this situation make sure you call the interviewer. The interviews may be running late, which means they might still be able to interview you. If you will not be able to make the interview, it is only polite to let them know so they don’t end up wasting their time. It may also allow you to reschedule another interview.

While you should arrive early at the building where the interview is taking place, never show up for the interview itself more than 15 minutes early.

The one question everyone dreads at a job interview is the one that seems to have no right answer. What is your greatest weakness? What is the best way to answer this question? You might be tempted to respond that your weakness is not that you are stupid enough to answer that question, but that won’t get you the job. Is there a correct way to answer this question? While there is no one magic answer, some are much better than others.

There are the two old standbys that many people use. The first answer is that you do not have any weakness which will affect this position. The second answer is that you are too much of a perfectionist. But let’s face it; no one is going to buy into either of these answers. The interviewer is going to sense that you are trying to con them.

The best thing to do is to be prepared. Come with a list of three weaknesses. The important thing to stress is that you are aware of these weaknesses and to tell what steps you have taken to improve them. This is key. Do not throw out minor weaknesses and just leave it at that. Give the interviewer a real weakness but then explain how you overcame it. Like Knute Rockne once said: “Build up your weaknesses until they become your strong points. The following is what you should do.

Weakness 1.

I am not confident speaking in public. I was never comfortable speaking in public or in front of a group of people. I realized that I needed to overcome this and so I joined Toastmasters. That experience has helped to overcome my fear and now I no longer dread speaking in public.

Weakness 2. 

By nature I am not the most organized person in the world. I realized early on that this was something that I needed to fix and I experimented with different methods. Now at the start of the week, I break down what needs to be done each day and note it in my calendar. Organization might not have come natural to me but by prioritizing what needs to be done and when, I have no problem meeting my deadlines.

Weakness 3

I tended to be the type of person who over-stretched themselves when working on projects and I felt I had to be involved in everything. I took some courses on delegation and even read some books on it. Now I focus on doing what it is that I need to and this allows me to fulfill my duties to the best of my abilities.

Your resume doesn’t simply provide a prospective employer with your work history.  It speaks loud and clear that you have the credentials needed to be a complete success in this new position or career.

Your resume will attract immediate attention.  The reader will want to pick it up and read it top to bottom.  Interest will be stimulated.  An interview will be arranged. 

Your resume will contain:

 Your contact information, i.e. name, address, phone, email address,    website address.

 A defined job objective.

 A work history.

 Educational history.

 Affiliations.

 References.
Your resume will be written using professional grade printing and paper.

RESUME PRESENTATION IS KEY

An employer can have hundreds of boring resumes to pour through.  This means when something catches the eye, it must really pop out!

Your resume must impress within the first important seconds or it will not impress at all.  Employers will quickly scan all resumes and then grab for those that catch their eye best.

To write a really effective resume, you will use powerful statements that will impress.  This is very important, but, you do not want to oversell!  There is a very fine line here and you will learn all about it.

Above all, you will make honest statements about yourself.  They will be strong statements and 100% true, or they will not be effective at all.

Just as you would sell any product that you believe strongly in, you will learn to sell the product that is you! Once you have learned to do this, you will find that you will get a better response from a prospective employer than other prospects do and even those with better credentials.  It is all in how you market your product!

You will hit the bull’s eye when you define your precise career direction and put that down on paper. When your prospective employer reads it, they should have no doubt that you are seeking the exact job that they need filled.

After starting your resume with your contact information, your next section will clearly start with your job objective. Once your prospective employer can see that what you bring to the table is what they want, they will continue to scan for more.

Employers separate the wheat from the chaff very quickly. They look for objectives that meet with their own expectations. They know there are many prospects out there that really don’t know what they want.

Employers are not looking for these types. Your objective will convey that your objective proves you will make the kind of contributions to the company that they need and want.

Keep in mind, too, that an employer is looking for a candidate who will meet their own needs, and not for one who is looking to meet his or her own goals and agenda.

Your goal can be to offer this company your unique skill set and experience, but, the key is in putting that across in a way that proves you are their to service them and not the other way around.

Your resume must grab them within the first few seconds, so, your objective must be dynamite! Clearly state the job title you are going for and then add a few key phrases to show you will meet their exact needs.

In fact, you’re encouraged to ask questions. This shows that you have an interest in the position. Questions you should ask our as follows: “When does this position start?” Or “What are the next steps in the selection process?” Don’t ask questions about vacation time or mandatory holidays unless you are purposely trying to tank the interview. The questions about the selection process may clue you in on how well the interview went. If they take the time to explain it to you in great detail it shows they may be interested in you. On the other hand, if they tell you that you will hear From them by the letter, it is probably a good idea to look elsewhere.

Just as there are canned questions the interviewer will ask, there are standard questions that the interviewee is expected to ask. You should research the company and write down questions that are unique to position you are applying for. This will show initiative on your part and raise you above the other applicants who have not done this.  Let’s face it, you cannot be too overprepared for an interview.

If you’re thinking of leaving one job for another thing you have some latitudes that those who are without work do not. In this case you should inquire about the packages available in this new position. You do not want to leave a good job with good benefits for a job that offers you less. In this situation you need to know things like promotion possibilities, raises, Health Care, and even vacation.

If it is obvious that if you already have a job you can ask the kinds of questions. If on the other hand, you are unemployed, you may want to give these types of questions a pass.