A few interview tips to help you ace your next interview. Ideal for Information Technology candidates and related job seekers.

1. Ace the Job Interview
By David Brock, DBI Staffing

2. Proper Preparation May Be The Most Important Part Of Any Interview
Many applicants are so consumed with performance during the actual interview, they forget that the interview actually begins the
moment your potential employer looks at your resume. Here are a few simple things you can do in anticipation of your interview
meeting:
 How do you appear on social media – more than likely, you have some kind of personal social media presence, whether it be
an account on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or LinkedIn. I always recommend to my candidates that they remember to
ensure any images and posts are professional and do not send the wrong message to a prospective employer
 Know yourself – many of us don’t realize how we are received during an introduction, an interview or any one to one
engagement
 My suggestion is to ask a good friend, a spouse or relative, how you speak one on one, do you act nervous or relaxed, is
your volume high or low, do you interrupt often, is posture one that invites more questioning and receptive to
conversation, etc. Creating a productive and mutually beneficial experience for you and the interviewer is to step out
of your comfort zone to learn how you are viewed by other parties.

3. Telling Your Story
Know your resume – your resume is a narrative or story of your life. Knowing that story and memorizing what you have achieved in each
chapter of your life will be both relaxing for you and impressive to the interviewer. The pressure of organizing your thoughts and what you
have done can sometimes feel overwhelming when put on the spot in an interview . Chances are, you are multi-tasking on a daily basis at
your job and it can be very challenging, when put on the spot, for you to pause, reflect and communicate all the things you do and have
done
I always recommend that my candidates literally write down a few words on how they want to talk about each job on their
resume, organize by what you do daily, weekly, monthly or annually, maybe on a project basis, etc.) Know your interviewer – I
always talk to my candidates about who they will be meeting and their personality, what makes them tick, their interests, etc. In
today’s social media age, LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and other outlets are all available for you to research the individuals that you
will be meeting. After all, they are researching you, YOU SHOULD BE RESEARCHING THEM
Most clients appreciate the effort in research as a level of interest in the role and their organization. Along these lines, bringing
up topics found in your research like any big wins, mergers or announcements is always nice to mention.

4. The moment of truth – interview time
 Let the interviewer control the interview
 Sometimes the best interviews are the ones when you actually say very little
 Let the interviewer say as much as they want. Natural human instinct is to speak more and listen less. Be careful not to
interrupt someone who is doing most of the talking
 When he or she gives you the opportunity, try to be as descriptive as possible when answering a question. Don’t take
for granted or assume they know what you are talking about, especially when discussing technical terms
 Smile and be inviting , make yourself likeable – positive energy is one of the most underrated qualities in an interview
 Memorize questions that you wish to ask – questions about the team, the company, upcoming projects, what they are looking
for out of this hire, etc.
 Be perceptive and look around the room
 are there pictures of kids, sports teams, vacations, etc. – everything you can learn about someone and question them
on, might lead to a connection like where they live, what you have in common. How will you ever know if your
interviewer lives in your neighborhood if the line of conversation doesn’t lead you there

5. Post interview do’s and don’ts
 Whether or not you are genuinely interested in the role or not, ACT LIKE YOU ARE!! Why is that?
 you never know what other positions they may be considering you for or what might open up within the department or
somewhere else in the organization
 the negative energy you give off by showing disinterest will likely disqualify you from any potential other roles
 you never know when you may run into the interviewer at another company one day
 You can always communicate, after the interview, why you think you might not be ideal for the position you interviewed
 Thank you letters – believe it or not, job offers are lost when an applicants sends a poorly written, unthoughtful or misdirected Thank
You Letter
 Make sure at least one person, preferably two, review the letter before it goes to ensure the proper message is sent and
everything is well written, spelled correctly and grammatically correct.
 Following up – when is it too much?
 Emailing or calling your contact is perfectly fine if you have not heard any feedback in a week.
 Thereafter, I would wait at least 2 weeks before you touch base again
 Anything thereafter, they just may not be that interested and not looking to continue with your candidacy so continuing to call
or email may be inappropriate