Let me give you some bad news. First, there is no absolute guaranteed ways to ace your job interview! Second, you probably won’t nail it the very first time even after reading all the help guides on job interviews!

But if you are a fresh graduate or had been unemployed for a while and were wondering why you have not been that successful, probably some practical job interview tips can help.

So, there you go…

Before the Interview:

1. Never think you are over prepared

Prepare does not means shopping for the right suit or tie although that’s important. But what is more crucial is your knowledge about the company. You are not expected to know about everything but a google search, a chat with a friend who had been in the employment market for a while and etc. is the least you should do.

What’s the company’s nature of business, their products/services offered? How long have they been in the market? And by the way, no one is going to fault you for knowing too much.

2. Read and understand the job scope

What are the core responsibilities? Did they mention specific skills? This is important so that you are prepared to frame your answers accordingly. Use the job description, if any, to guide you.

3. Know your strengths

Can you honestly tell in one sentence what constitutes your strengths? Try to answer this question, “Why should we hire you?” You have been short listed for an interview and you have this one chance to convince the interviewer you are the right guy. Do you have a story about an accomplishment, a compliment you received, something, anything at all to tell?

If you know what you got, your perspective about your chances changed tremendously. You will be more confident and positive and that good vibes will be reflected during the interview. Like Simon Cowell of American Idol used to say, “You got to have self-belief”, “You got to believe that you can win the competition.”

4. Grooming is important

Click below to get some tips on this topic.

10 Ways From Passed-Over To Promotion-Ready Look »

During the job interview

5. Smile

That’s easy, right? But I can tell you from experience that there are some that have the most serious face when they walked-in to an interview room as though they are attending a funeral service! I am not joking.

6. Stay alert and listen well

Don’t let your mind wander or start talking when you are not supposed to. Wait for your turn. Listen to the questions and take time to phrase your replies. You don’t have to rush. A mistake if you were expecting some kind of standard questions and reply according to the templates you have prepared. Oh yes, I’ve encountered that and I would go…oh boy, he’s not listening. He’s just giving me a text-book answer that sounds good but not the answer to my question…

7. Keep good eye contact

If there are more than one interviewers, have good eye contact with the person that does the questioning but be sure to catch the others eyes’ too. And avoid at all cost looking down at your hands or your shoes. It spells nervousness and lack of confidence.

8. Shows your likeable self

It means to be your best self. Don’t just be yourself which is a poor advice because you can be sloughing most of the time but you can choose not to slough if you want to.

This is the time to show you are a pleasant person to work with, reliable and overall able to add value to the organization.

9. Are you being long-winded?

Do not go on too long with your answers. Candidates that think by having longer air-time, they can impress more. Wrong! Although interviewers do not appreciate one or two word answers but repeating certain words or phrases and going into your grandmother stories can also be very annoying.

10. Shows that you are a team player

Employers want to hire a team player and not a selfish brat. Prepare for a story that you work well in a team before.

11. Stay focused and consistent

Certain things may turn out not as expected, say for example, an interviewer that’s not experienced and asking you silly or unethical questions. But on your part, stay focused and be consistent with the way you present yourself. It’s a sign that you can hang in well under pressure and do your best no matter what.

12. Leave with the same positive note

Do not make silly remarks like, “I guess I did not get the job, right?” or “Well, I think I blew my chances by some of the things I said earlier but don’t blame me for telling the truth.” Be polite, thank the interviewer for his time and follow-up with thank you notes or emails. The thank you notes are part and parcel of an interview process which sad to say, many candidates had neglected nowadays.

As mentioned earlier, there is no absolute perfect answer or ways to ace the job interview. But generally, if the interviewer has an overall impression of you being pleasant and having a positive attitude, flexible, portrayed the willingness to learn and open-minded, you have just managed to bring yourself one step closer to acing the job.

Good luck!