Essential Tips For Successful Interviews:

Kevin Campbell, a Marketing Communication Lead at Siemens Healthcare, spoke to the importance of effective interviewing. He shared the do's and don'ts of interviewing with the Millersville University Chapter of the Public Relations Student Society of America.

Interviewing is nothing more than a social exercise. Do not focus on your competition because you do not actually know the competition nor their qualifications or the lack thereof —be the best person you can be and it will pay off. Even if another candidate is more qualified, if you are confident, firmly shake hands, look employers in the eye, and overall sell yourself in the interview, you have a chance.

Being yourself and selling your traits is far more meaningful than attempting to fit the mold of what you think employers are looking for. Do not attempt to sell something that you do not have—use what your have and make it your selling point.

Preparing For The Interview:

Before any interview, it is important to ask who you are interviewing with and what your relationship in the position with that individual will be. It is always appropriate to stalk these individuals specifically on social media prior to the interview. This way, you can show the interviewer that you do not just know about the interview, but about them as well. It not only shows initiative but will show your potential employer you care about the position and the people you will be working for.

Metaphorically speaking, you must do your homework and be thorough in doing so. Be mindful that the employer you are interviewing with will stalk you in the same manner before even extending an invitation to interview for the position. Be aware of the content on your social media as far as your posts, profile pictures and friends/connections/followers.

For this reason, you must not only research the interviewer but the company you are applying with. Interviewees should have the respect to look at the company's website and look into the specific position they have applied for. Interviewers will undoubtedly ask questions about the company to see what you already know and if you cared to look the company up. The next time you land an interview, ask yourself why an employer would want to hire someone who does not care enough to even look at their website.

The Day of The Interview:

The importance of being on time cannot be stressed enough. It is best to give yourself enough time to arrive at least 10- 15 minutes early. An interview is a chance to make a first impression; furthermore, you do not want the first thing your potential employer learns about you to be that you arrive late.

If you are not familiar with the commute to the interview location, drive it the day before the interview during the same time of day as the interview. This ensures you know how long it will take you to get to the interview and can allows you to give yourself enough time for wiggle room should something unexpected happen.

Once you arrive for the interview, it is important to stay OFF your phone and stay aware of your surroundings. You never know how important the people who pass you are so it is important to be pleasant and speak to everyone you encounter. You want to appear open and approachable because you may land a conversation with the company CEO without knowing it. If you have done proper research, however, you will already know what your interviewer(s) looks like and can be on the lookout for these individuals.

What To Bring To An Interview

Never come to an interview empty handed—its a turn off and it will leave the employer with a bad opinion of you. Always come to an interview prepared with a copy of your resume and samples of your work in a portfolio case: You should also bring a notebook for note taking. This shows you are attentive and you care about both the company and what the interviewer has to say.

In The Interview

In a sense, you should have the interview rehearsed and be prepared for anything the interviewer may ask. For this reason, you should have a fast fact solution sheet. In other words, have go-to answers so you are not in any way caught off guard by the interviewers questions. Essentially, you must run the interview. Interviewers will notice this and appreciate your drive.

It is also extremely important to mention things of relevance. If you manage to show the interviewers why their company needs you it will take the attention off "drilling" you. Use discretion and be mindful, however, of the questions you ask and how the interviewer may perceive it.

Be sure ask questions throughout the interview and at the close of the interview. Have a list of generic go-to list of 10 questions and ask at least half of them—obvious questions are ok to ask but you should prepare questions that are tailored specifically to the company or the position based on the website. An effective means of showing the employer that you are an asset is ending the interview by asking what you can do to help them succeed.

This takes the attention off yourself and again, shows the employer that you care about more than just landing a position. Do not be ashamed to make it known how badly you want the job! Without being intrusive, ask if there is anything about your candidacy that would stop you from getting the job because you of how much you want it—this is asking for job without asking and it in turn, closes the deal. In an interview there is a short period to tell an employer how good you are but more importantly, you need to be able to SHOW them.

After The Interview

Send a thank you email and send a hand written thank you note to everyone who interviewed you. Hand written notes show effort and thoughtfulness but sending an email as well can be effective in case the letter takes a few days to get to the employer. After the interview be sure to get the employers business card(s) because it has their contact information as well as their direct email.

DO NOT write the exact same note and simply address it with different names—be creative with each person who interviewed you by pointing out a connection you shared in the interview to differentiate yourself and REMIND them why you are perfect for the job. Essentially, assume they do not care about helping you and sell how you can help them.

If you do not hear back within a timely manner, do not be afraid to reach out the employer regarding the status of your interview. Again, show the interviewers that you care and are still interested in the position.

The art of interviewing is simple once understood and mastered. The key is to be yourself and show an interviewer just who that is in order to land the position.