5 Tips For Being More Active During An Interview

Job seekers looking to beef up their interviewing strategy may need to take a more active role in the process in order to show their enthusiasm for the position and underscore how their skills will benefit a potential employer.

1. Ask lots of questions

Karen Burns, author of "The Amazing Adventures of Working Girl: Real-Life Career Advice You Can Actually Use," told The Republic that the worst thing a candidate can do is not ask any follow-up questions.

"Asking questions shows your interest in a company and makes you look smarter," Burns stessed. "Asking questions gives interviewers a chance to talk about themselves, and asking questions is a way to find out if you really want to work for these people."

It's also important to ask open ended questions such as "Can you describe a typical day for someone in this position?," and "Do you have any thoughts about my ability ability to perform this job?"

2. Be prepared

Candidates obviously need to be prepared to answer a vast array of questions from the interviewee, as well as talk about their greatest accomplishments and how why they are relavent to the current position.

Sample questions from a hiring manager may include "What are you passionate about?" or "Who was your best boss and why?" "Why did you leave your last job?" and "Why should we hire you?"

3. Make contact

Another way for job seekers to remain active in the interview process is to be engaged at all times. According to California's Worksmart program, candidates should always greet the employer with a strong, confident handshake, keep eye contact during the interview and listen carefully.

4. Remain positive

Job seekers should always remain upbeat and answer with positive statements. Framing sentences in the negative may give a hiring manger the wrong impression about a candidate's attitude. For example rather than identifying weakness in skills, a candidate should stress they're excitement about growing within the organization and how eager they are to bring their talents to the position.

5. Send a thank you note

Following the interview, candidates should always send a letter expressing their appreciation and reiterate their interest in the jobs. A thank you note is also an excellent opportunity to a job seeker to add any information about themselves that they may have overlooked during the initial meeting.

--Published courtesy of Brafton