1. © 2014 wheresjenny.com Prep talk Prep Talk before the interview:

2. © 2014 wheresjenny.com Prep talk Vocabulary Prep talk: It is a preparatory talk before an event or a warm-up activity; Demeanor: the way a person behaves towards others; conduct Cement your self confidence: Boost your self confidence. Push the instant Panic button: to panic instantly Destitute: without means to live.

3. © 2014 wheresjenny.com Prep talk Before the Interview: Conduct Basic Interview Research To prepare for an interview, find out as much as you can beforehand. Call the person who scheduled your interview and ask: Who will you be talking to? Will you meet the manager you'd work for, or will you just talk to HR? What are the interviewer's expectations? What's the dress code? Dress better than suggested. Most times, it's best to wear a professional suit. You'd be amazed how many candidates show up looking like they're going to class, not presenting a professional demeanor. Get directions to the office. Plan to leave early. Keep a phone number to call if you get stuck on the bus or in traffic. If you arrive late and stressed, the interview will not go well. If you don't have a detailed job description, ask for one. That's a five-minute phone call.

4. © 2014 wheresjenny.com Prep talk Learn About the Company Online Do some fast Web research, which will give you something to talk about in addition to the job description. Go to the employer's Web site, or search the Web for information such as: How big is the company in terms of annual sales or employees? What does the company say about its products or services? What recent news (such as a new product, a press release, an interview with the CEO) can you discuss? If the company is public, the boilerplate at the bottom of its press releases will tell you a lot. Basic research should take you about an hour.

5. © 2014 wheresjenny.com Prep talk Think of Some Stories Be ready to answer typical interview questions with a story about yourself. To prepare, write down and memorize three achievement stories. Tell about times you've really felt proud of an achievement at work or school. These stories demonstrate all those hard-to-measure qualities like judgment, initiative, teamwork or leadership. Wherever possible, quantify what you've done, e.g., "increased sales by 20 percent," "cut customer call waiting time in half," "streamlined delivery so that most customers had their job done in two days." By the way, nonworking achievement stories are good too; if you volunteer for the local food pantry, write down a time you overcame a big challenge or a crisis there. Achievement stories make you memorable, which is what you want. There's an exercise in Monster Careers: Interviewing called "Mastering the Freestyle Interview," which helps you develop these stories into compelling sales points. Take the time you need -- at least three hours on this task.

6. © 2014 wheresjenny.com Prep talk "Why I Don't Need to be Nervous on Interview Day." I am not desperate for this job. I have other options. I want to make sure the company is good enough for ME! I have something to offer.

7. © 2014 wheresjenny.com Prep talk How to begin: Always remember that you are being interviewed not because you want to work with the company but because the company needs you. Everything that you talk in the interview should be of relevance i.e it should be relevant to the job. You will be selected for the job only if you are able to sell yourself to the interviewer. Keep your experiences handy, as in, try and give examples of your experience wherever possible. Relevance is the key word. Don’t talk about your age, hobby, family, friends unless asked. Tell Me about yourself: For self presentation Always follow EES E- education E- experience S- Skills First talk about you education or experience and then your skills relevant for the job.

8. © 2014 wheresjenny.com Prep talk How to close an interview: The final part of prepping is ensuring that you know how to end an interview. When the final interviewer says, "Do you have any questions?" you need to have at least three questions prepared to choose from. You can even have them written down. When this part of the interview comes, you can glance down at their notes to remind yourselves. Make sure you know that only a question is a correct answer in this circumstance. They do not want you to say, "No, I don't think so." Bonus prep tip: Pull out those old files and take a look at your work performance reviews from the past. Where do you excel? Which areas are your strongest? Make a mental note of these, then practice how you will work this information into whatever questions you are asked in the interview. Remember, it is okay to answer an interview question in a way that reflects your best qualities, as long as you are still being honest. Now - are you ready to knock their socks off with your tireless work ethic, great attitude, talent, skills and perseverance? I know you can do this. It's an interview - it's no big deal. Now go out there and take the professional world by storm!