First, understand that the interview is an opportunity for both parties to evaluate the merits of the other party.  The interview is as much about you evaluating the employer as it is the employer evaluating you.

Preparation checklist

1. Confirm your interview date, time and location.  If necessary, contact the employer to make sure you know the correct date, time and location of your interview.  If notified of an interview by mail or email, make sure you call the employer to confirm your interview.

2. Make necessary travel plans.  Make all necessary hotel, car rental, plane, etc. reservations well in advance of your interview date.

3. Dress appropriately.  If you are unsure as to how you should dress, contact the company and ask about their dress code.  When in doubt, always dress in a style similar to people who work at the company.

4. Prepare all necessary documentation.  Bring copies of the following:

• Resume

• Letters of recommendation

• Degrees, diplomas, certifications

• Occupational licenses

• School and college transcripts

• Awards and citations

• Professional and professional accomplishments

5. Understand the company's mission.  Gather as much information as possible about the company.  Understand what they do as a business, where they operate, who their customers are and what kind of services and/or products they market.  This information can be gathered from:

• Company brochures

• Company website

• Company catalogs

• Newspaper and magazine articles about the company (contact any public library for this information)

6. Understand the nature of the job.  Make sure you can discuss the nature of the job.  You should be able to discuss such items as:

• The overall objective of the position.

• The typical duties and responsibilities of the position.

• The methods used by most people to carry out the duties and responsibilities.

• Typical problems encountered in attempting to carry out the duties and responsibilities, and the solutions that you would use to overcome such problems.

7. Be prepared to discuss any relevant experience.  The employer will be interested in learning about any experience that you've had that has given you knowledge and skills that can help you carry out the job.  Be prepared to discuss the following and how they have prepared you for the job:

• Educational history

• Work history

• Military history

• Community service

8. Be ready to ask questions.  Prepare a list of questions that you want to ask, such as:

• What type of person are you looking for?

• What are the objectives of the position?

• What obstacles will the person in the position have to deal with?

• What criteria will you use to judge the person's work performance?

• Who does the position work with and who does he or she report to?

• What are the days and hours for the position?

• Where will my office be located?

• Will I be required to travel?  If so, how much and how often?

• What employee benefits (except salary) are you offering?  Note: It is considered unprofessional to bring up the subject of salary until the employer has offered you the position!

9. Know what you're worth!  If the employer should offer you the position, or bring up the subject of salary, you should have an idea of what salary range (low to high) would be acceptable.  To determine how much you're worth, see our article called How to determine my salary.

10. Be prepared to ask for the job!  Don't assume that it's the employer's right or responsibility to offer you the job.  Obviously, some employers will offer you the position during the interview.  However, others may not make an offer even though they believe you are the right candidate.  In such cases, the employer may be "testing" you to determine how committed you are to the position and company. If by the end of the interview you have not been offered the position, and if you want the job, make sure you indicate that you are very interested in the job, believe you can do it well, and then ask the employer if he or she is interested in offering you the position.

11. Practice answering common questions.  The list of possible questions that the employer might ask you is long.  However, here's a few typical questions that you should be prepared to answer:

• Why should I hire you?

• Why are you leaving your current employer?

• Why do you believe you're the best person for the job?

• How would you describe yourself?

• What are your main strengths and weaknesses?

• How would your current employer describe your work behavior?

• How would you describe your work behavior?

• What value can you bring to the company?

• Where do you see your career going in five years?

• What's your greatest personal accomplishment?

• What's your greatest professional accomplishment?

12. Perhaps the most important advice that we can give you is "be yourself!"  Don't try to present yourself as someone you are not.  How you present yourself in the interview is how people will expect you to behave and act when hired. Get plenty of sleep the night before and arrive early.  Be positive, honest and professional!

And remember... the key to a successful interview is your ability to demonstrate how you can use your talent to help the employer prosper.

After the interview

Make sure you write a "thank you" letter and mail (or email) it to the employer within a few days of your interview.  If you were not offered the position (and not rejected from it either) and still want the position, stress how you can be of value to the employer.  Also, use the letter to address any issues that were brought up in the interview, but were not answered in the interview.

If at your interview you were informed that you were not going to be selected for the position, then use your letter to thank the employer for his/her time and wish them well in their future business activities.