The purpose of an introduction during the interview is to build rapport with the interviewer. It is your answer to the “tell me about yourself” question. Having a polished, yet natural-sounding, introduction prepared and practiced ahead of time will help you relax and start off with confidence.

It may seem silly at first, but this old theatre trick works for a reason. Learn how to get out of yourself, change your focus, and get your brain and your mouth working together. And yes! This works great before an online or Zoom interview too! Just make sure your camera is turned off.

One of the best ways to handle your nerves is to understand what is expected of you at each stage of the interview.

Every company, either consciously or subconsciously, is telling you something about their company culture based on the room set up, timing, and how they treat people.

With these strategies, you will not be leaving money on the table. From understanding your worth to speaking confidently about money, you will be able to negotiate effectively by understanding the game.

Believe it or not, some great candidates will lose a job offer by actually talking too much. Check out what that really means with this real-world example.

By recognizing the specific types of questions, you can strategically form the right types of answers that will fully answer the question without going overboard. Plus, learn the subtle clues that let you know when you need to develop a story for the behavioral questions.

Let’s dive into those STAR stories and see how they work.

Even though the interviewer may ask some stereotypical questions, they do not want stereotypical answers. You still want to be honest and be yourself, while of course being aware. In particular, the way to answer a “negative question” – any question that has an inherently negative answer or outcome, such as “what is your greatest weakness” – requires an honest answer followed by how you deal with it.

Yep, you hate it. Everybody hates it. Let’s see how to escape the lame answers and get to an honest one that will not cost you the job as a fatal flaw.

Do you struggle with pinpointing your greatest achievement? Believe it or not, many job seekers aren’t sure about what kind of achievement to mention. Learn how to pick the best example and use a STAR story to frame it properly.

Careful – do not call out any real people by name! Instead, learn how to walk this political minefield and still come off as genuine and sincere.

Be prepared for this one. It is the most common behavioral interview question in the professional world.

Even if they don’t technically ask this question, you should end the interview with a strong sales pitch to clearly say that you want the job AND that you are the best candidate for the role.

Outside of the most common nasty questions that we discussed, what are the ones that trip you up the most? Follow these guidelines to figure out answers that are genuine and effective.

Nobody wants to take a job with a bad company. By asking intelligent, insightful questions, you can reveal much about their culture while presenting yourself in the best light.

More often than not, you may be dealing with an interviewer who was never trained in how to do this. As a result, their own personality may color how the interview goes. We're going to explore some of the different characters that you might need to face - and how to deal with them.

Have you ever met an interviewer who just was genuinely nice? Don’t be fooled! You are still being judged.

Sometimes the interviewer seems more nervous than you.

Ever struggle with a real skeptic? There may be a way to win them over.

This interviewer may seem completely withdrawn and, honestly, bored. That might be a fact.

The Introvert appears reserved and distant, but not to the degree of the Skeptic. Overall, Introverts are quiet, calm, observant, and very, very sharp.

This interviewer is a process-driven person. She has her list of questions and she’s sticking to them no matter what.

Not too long ago, an interviewing fad hit the internet: Throw bizarre questions at candidates to see how they think.  So, what is up with that?

If you are going after a very technical job, be prepared for encounter very specific and detailed questions to test your knowledge.

Specific tips to ace a technical interview.

Ever go through an interview that feels more like an interrogation? Everything about this interviewer’s attitude screams “I’m gonna get ya!” He is dismissive, he cuts you off, and he drills into your answers with an air of scorn.

Don't fall for the traps that a confrontational interviewer loves to use.

Companies have been using multi-person interviews for decades to evaluate candidates from multiple points-of-view. With the rise of virtual interviewing, this has increased.

Some companies use panel interviews as a matter of policy. Only one person may ask the questions, or they may take turns. You could easily run into all the individual interviewer styles. However, the panel itself is not designed to “get you.” It is ultimately a time saver for the company, allowing for multiple opinions of all the candidates in one meeting.

Big guns are anything that helps you stand out as a candidate. Classics examples are your References Page, samples of your work, letters of recommendations, a brag book of your accomplishments, or plans for your first 90 days at the company.

For many high-power positions, companies will ask for a formal presentation. This is a great opportunity to demonstrate your expertise, your public speaking skills, and your grace under pressure. Big tip: prepare some handouts that you can leave behind to reinforce everything that you just covered.

For managers or executives, developing a 30-60-90 Day Plan is essential to show your priorities and processes on how you are going to make a positive impact from the first day and keep the momentum rolling