The suggestions listed below may take some time to prepare; however, candidates who do take the time have a much higher rate of offers being made:

1. Make sure you know your own strengths and weaknesses.

Write down four strengths and one or two weaknesses. Include a short - one-paragraph - example of some accomplishment you have achieved using each strength. With the weaknesses, write up a specific situation where you have turned that weakness into a strength or have overcome the weakness.

2. Learn the “universal answer.”

 Answers should be about two minutes long. More than three minutes…the candidate is perceived as boring and insensitive. Less than a minute…the candidate is branded as dull and lacking interest.

Use the following acronym to form answers:

A well-planted seed reaps many benefits!

Using examples in an answer are most important. This will be the demonstrated proof behind the opening statement. Interviewers will use these examples to make their judgments about a candidate's competency. Most candidates talk in generalities. This is not as convincing as a specific example.

For instance, a salesperson may want to talk about his/her awards in sales or exceeding the quota. The answer will be more meaningful if you show how one or two of your strengths (like creativity and networking) were required to achieve the result described in the example.

3. Write up two most significant accomplishments.

Prepare more detailed write-ups for your two most significant accomplishments. Each write-up should be two to three paragraphs in length. One should be an individual accomplishment and the other a team accomplishment. Make sure to include examples of your strengths in both write-ups. Most candidates get a little nervous in the opening stages of an interview, which can result in temporary forgetfulness. The write-ups will allow for better recall of this important information during the interview. They will also be the basis of the examples in the SEED response.

4. How do you stand out from your Peers?

Recognize that you will be competing with others and your interviewer will be comparing you against the others. You should write down a paragraph describing why you are the best candidate for the position and you should be prepared to integrate this during the interview.

5. Ask the “universal question.”

Discussions about major accomplishments should dominate the interview session. Since most interviewers do not naturally ask this question, you need to get them started. Ask this question if you feel the interview is going nowhere:

A statement like this will allow you to describe some important related projects you have worked on.

6. Ask for the job.

At the end of the interview, tell the interviewer that you are interested in the job and would like to know what the next step is. If the next step sees evasive or unclear, ask if your accomplishments seem relevant to the performance requirements of the job. Understanding a potential gap here allows you to fill it in with an example of a related accomplishment.

Make sure you do the best job possible of presenting your strengths.

7. Avoid discussing salary at the first interview.

If pressed, respond: “I would seriously consider any reasonable offer you care to make.”

8. Get the facts.

9. Be prepared.

During the interview you will be asked a wide variety of questions.

Be prepared for some surprises and maybe some curve balls.

Be ready to answer questions like the following: