Ways to improve interviewing skills

Rehearse...we all know the standard "so tell me about yourself" type interview questions. Think about your answers in advance to those questions--write your response in bullet points, practice saying it in your head, practice it out loud. Be sure to include concrete examples derived from your own experience.
--how you handled change; if management, how you led a group through change
--how you handled failure or how you led a group through a failing/difficult project
--your approach to conflict resolution/office politics
Etc etc

Few employers are looking for originality here--they are instead assessing your ability to "play the game" and to assess the appropriateness of your responses. Can you hold up your end of a conversation, can you handle a curveball, can you conduct yourself professionally or are you a potential PR embarrassment waiting to happen?

Practice makes perfect. If social anxiety is the real issue here, joining a group like ToastMasters might help.

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If social anxiety is the real issue here, joining a group like ToastMasters might help.

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i've heard about TM, and I almost joined myself, not because I have anxiety, but to just hone those skills that become sedentary due to sitting behind a desk all day, every day. lol

I'll definitely mention that because she becomes a nervouse wreck when all eyes are on her.

- Know the brand you want to create - what are the 3-4 adjectives you want an interviewer to say after you are gone; what impression are you trying to leave that you believe make you an employee that a company needs to have

- Have 4 stories that exemplify those qualities. Stories are flexible and can be adapted to any question asked during an interview

- An interview is as much about you evaluating the company as it is about the company evaluating you. This is often forgotten. Ask questions and make sure this is the right fit.

- With the prior bullet in mind, make sure that you answer the questions being asked but always steer the conversation with the 3-4 adjectives/your brand in mind. Questions are thought starters and they break the ice to create a communication pathway....use them for the ice breaking and then share what you feel they need to know about you via examples.

- Sit up straight, firm handshake, smile.

This approach works.

Practice and study!

I had a mentor in my old role and he would give me mock interviews monthly leading up until I was ready for a promotion. When it came time to have the actual interview, I had practiced so much I was oozing with confidence and it showed. Knocked it out the ballpark.

It's just like prepping for a speech or studying for a final...if you OVER prepare then you know going in you'll make an A.

mock interviews. Google the top interview questions and you interview her.

Do it 2-3 times for each interview. And be MEAN to her.

Then get a grudge frick, but be wary as she might do that to interviewer.

I was going through the SAME shite with my girl. Unfortunately it wasn't for a promotion and she wasn't getting any jobs.

She struck out like 5 times here in STL but finally landed something back in Arkansas which kinda sucks but she needed it.

It's always difficult telling someone you care about the cold hard truth. She was saying "like" a ton and is just generally shitty as BSing and selling herself. She's smart, has a master's and was successful in doing so, but the whole professional side was tough for her.

As stated above, I grilled the shite out of her on mock interviews. Programmed her to give answers that people want to hear and to also sell herself and learn to judge interviewers.

It finally worked and she got on with a fortune 500 logistics company but it was a PAINFUL process.

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It's always difficult telling someone you care about the cold hard truth. She was saying "like" a ton and is just generally shitty as BSing and selling herself. She's smart, has a master's and was successful in doing so, but the whole professional side was tough for her.

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we are about to flush a super qualified candidate. We know that she can do the job but she just did horrible in the interview.

I was a bad interviewer coming out of college. I had a sitdown with a teacher who really helped me.

The biggest thing he helped me with was this:

Know exactly what YOU want to portray to the interviewer and force them into the conversation. You know how politicians answer questions in a way that doesn't even come close to actually answering the question? Do that. If you have great skills that will help you in the job, make sure the interviewer knows them.

The other thing is know the company and the position back and force. Know as much as you possibly can.

Make sure you have some questions to ask the interviewer. Make it a conversation. It makes it more personable. Also you don't want him to ask "well any questions" and have to just say no.

Some people have problems selling themselves. Women particularly have a tendency to downplay their own accomplishments and give credit to others. A couple of years ago I reviewed my wife's resume and after every entry she had a short paragraph explaining why that particular entry wasn't as impressive as it looked on paper.

You have to understand that the interview process is kind of like theater. You're playing a part that is based on yourself, but isn't quite yourself. (The company does the same thing).