Job Interview Tips for Women

Performing well in a job interview is not always easy. You are nervous about talking with new people, you don’t know what to expect, and you don’t know how they will perceive you. If you want to do well in an interview then there are some easy tips to follow that will make you stand out from the crowd.

1. Punctuality Counts

The first step for making a good impression at an interview is to arrive a few minutes early. You never want to arrive for a job interview late, and you never want to appear as if you had to rush to make it to the interview on time. Both of these things can lead to the assumption that you are not good with time managements. If you arrive five to ten minutes early you can fill out paper work before your interview and you will have time to collect your thoughts and composure before you meet with the interviewers.

2. Appearance

While it is against the law in many countries to hire some based solely on how attractive they are, an appropriate appearance is an important factor in hiring decisions. When you dress for your interview make sure that your clothes are clean, wrinkle free, and professional. You don’t want your clothing to be too provocative, unless that is the type of job you are trying for. You also don’t want to dress too conservatively or dress in fashions that are extremely out of date. The impression that you want to make is that you are a professional and that you will project an image that will be beneficial to the company.

3. Make Eye Contact

While some women may find it difficult to make eye contact with people whom they consider to be their superiors, it is important to make eye contact during an interview. You will also want to sustain the eye contact without staring. Eye contact will signify that you know what you are talking about and that you are a confident person.

4. Answer the Questions Honestly

When you are asked a question think about it and then answer honestly and as completely as possible. If the question relates to your experience with certain tasks recount when, where, and how you acquired that experience. When the interviewer asks you about your worst characteristic try to turn it around to exemplify one of your strengths as a worker. Finally, make sure that you have some questions about the company that you can ask the interviewer. This will help to demonstrate your interest in the company, and it will also show that you did some research about the company prior to your interview.

5. Follow Up

It is not pushy to follow up with the company after your interview. In fact, it is a good idea to drop the company a thank you note the day after your interview. This will help to refresh the interview committee’s memory about you, and it will reaffirm your interest in the position. If you haven’t heard anything from the company after a week you should call them to see how the hiring process is coming a long. This is a good thing to do unless the company specifically requested that no follow up phone calls be made by interviewees. In this case follow their instructions and don’t make the follow up call.