Interviewing is a learned skill, and there are no second chances to make a great first impression! There are lots of ways you can prepare for an interview. You need to practice “wowing” the interviewer.

Here are some exercises you can do to help prepare yourself!

Draw a line down the center of a piece of paper. On the left side, make a bulleted list of what the employer is looking for based on the job posting. On the right side, make a bulleted list of the qualities you possess that fit those requirements.

Prepare a 60-second “personal statement”. This is your answer to one of the most popular interview questions: “ Tell me about yourself”. This is a challenging question to answer, as people wonder what the interviewer really wants to know and what information they should include. Prepare a script that includes the information you want to get across. Begin by talking about past experiences and proven success. Next, mention your strengths and abilities. Conclude with a statement about your current situation.

Write at least five success stories to answer “ behavior questions”. These are questions that are meant to give the interviewer an idea of how you behave in situations. E.g.: “Give me an example of a time when you ... Give me an example of how you . . . Tell me about how you . . .” This is an opportunity for you to sell your positives with an example or two. Briefly describe the situation, enthusiastically explain what you did and indicate the outcome. Even if the interviewer asks about a time when something negative happened, try to select an example where you were able to turn thesituation around and something positive came out of it. For example, if asked, “Tell me about a time you made a bad decision.” Try to identify an example where:

Even though it wasn’t the best decision, you were able to pull something positive out of the situation. Although it was a poor decision, you learned from it and in the next similar situation you made a good decision or know how you will handle it differently the next time a similar situation arises. It was bad decision but the negative outcome had only minor impact.

Prepare the answers to some of the most common interview questions, practice the answers, but not so much that you sound like you have them memorized!

1. Why did you leave or are you leaving your last position?
2. What do you know about this company?
3. What are your goals?
4. What are your strengths and weaknesses?
5. Why do you want to work here?
6. What has been your most significant achievement?
7. How would your last boss and colleagues describe you?
8. Why should we hire you?
9. What are your salary expectations?