20 helpful tips to use during a job interview

For a job interview, it’s not enough to be on time. You should arrive early. It shows your potential employer that you care about the job, have effective time management skills, and respect the time of everyone involved in your interview.

A classic piece of advice is to dress for the job you want, but that might not cut it for an interview. Some jobs allow you to dress rather casually on a day-to-day basis, but for the interview, you need to be in professional garb. 

The interviewer will expect you to have some questions, too. And since an interview is a way for you to gauge whether you want the job, too, it’s doubly important to ask thoughtful questions. Use your time to learn about the culture and what your potential role will look like daily. 

Employers like to work with honest people, so don’t embellish your resume or lie about why you’re leaving your previous job. The truth always comes out, so just be honest from the get-go. 

Employers have already scanned your resume and are aware of your soft skills. Use the interview to talk about some of the specific ways you’d be an asset to their business, and use specific measurements to do so. For example, mention the exact figures you earned for your company in your previous role. 

Show your interviewer that you’ve researched your potential employer. Don’t rattle off the exact year it was founded or the location of its first office. Instead, ask thoughtful questions about the company’s new initiatives or mention that you were impressed by one of its recent accomplishments. 

It’s possible there will be more than one person at your interview. Bring extra copies of all necessary materials, such as your resume and cover letter. 

Employers will likely give you an open-ended question about yourself. They want to get to know you, but certain details aren’t necessary to share in an interview. Give a concise pitch that highlights what’s important. 

Interviews are stressful and sometimes overwhelming. Help yourself by taking some notes. It's a helpful strategy when you’re asked compound questions or need to remember multiple names. 

Listen to your interviewer carefully. Listen to understand, not to respond. 

Remember what the interviewer’s name is so you can thank them by name on your way out. If you’re worried you’ll forget, ask them to repeat it and write it down. 

Knowing about salary and benefits is important, but employers aren’t going to appreciate you asking about them right off the bat. Ideally, you’ll wait for the interviewer to bring up that topic. If they don’t touch on it during the interview, wait until you’re nearing the end to ask. 

You want to show your potential employer that you can take initiative and lead, but your interview is not the time to do so. Let the interviewer control the interview and follow their lead. 

Not every place of business is a good place to work, and not every employer is great to work for. But don’t insult a former employer at a job interview. Potential employers will not be impressed, even if what you say is the truth. You can be honest about why you left a former job without being insulting. 

Be sure to greet your interviewer with a handshake and a smile, and bid your interviewer farewell with those gestures, too. 

It’s okay to be nervous at a job interview, but it’s not okay to let the nerves totally take over. Take a deep breath once you’ve sat down, and if you feel yourself getting nervous during the interview, take another. 

Job interviews typically don’t last all day, and they’re not the time to gab with friends. Be concise with your answers by including only relevant details. This goes for personal and professional information. 

Employers like to hear about your past experiences, but they’re also looking to see how you’d fit in at their business. Use your answers to show that you align with their culture and would be an asset to the company. 

Employers are looking for specificity. It’s great that you’re an effective communicator, but it’s even better to provide a specific example of how you communicate and why your communication style works. For example, share that you were responsible at your last job for bringing in three new clients every week through the digital advertisements you created. 

Always end your job interview on a positive note. Even if the last topic you’re discussing is heavy or uncomfortable, thank everyone for their time and let them know you look forward to hearing from them.