Job Interviewing For Dummies

Boost your confidence, ace your interview, and get the job

Job Interviewing For Dummies will teach you how to prepare for your next job interview, deal with tough questions, and gain the tools and skills to interview with confidence and poise. This book offers a structured, step-by-step approach for succeeding in virtual and in-person interviews. You’ll find information, strategies, and examples to empower you to present your best self to potential employers. Learn how to anticipate and prepare for the most likely questions, regardless of your level or industry, and be prepared for anything—an interview on short notice, explaining gaps on your resume, changing careers, and beyond. With examples and stories from the interview trenches, this friendly Dummies guide will help you breathe new life into your job search.

• Gain the poise you need to own the interview room (or the video chat)
• Brush up on your interview skills if you haven’t done this in a while
• Come prepared with impressive answers and questions to ask
• Overcome common challenges like resume gaps

This book is for anyone interested in finding a new job or helping others in their job search. With Job Interviewing For Dummies, be prepared to hear “yes” more often!

Introduction 1

Part 1: Learning to Ace Any Job Interview 3

Chapter 1: Accelerating Your Career with Interview Skills 5

Chapter 2: Understanding the New World of Interviewing 17

Chapter 3: Getting to Know the Players and the Rules 53

Part 2: Using the Big Interview Approach to Interview Preparation 87

Chapter 4: Understanding Your Mission 89

Chapter 5: Preparing to Impress 105

Chapter 6: “Tell Me About Yourself” 117

Part 3: Acing Common Questions 133

Chapter 7: “Why Do You Want to Work Here?” 135

Chapter 8: “What Are Your Strengths and Weaknesses?” 145

Chapter 9: “Where Do You See Yourself in Five Years?” 161

Chapter 10: “Why Are You Looking for a New Role Now?” 167

Chapter 11: Mastering Behavioral Questions 177

Chapter 12: Answering Tricky Questions 193

Chapter 13: Asking Smart Questions 211

Part 4: Pulling Everything Together 221

Chapter 14: Your Interview Success Plan 223

Chapter 15: Mastering Nonverbal Communications 249

Chapter 16: Overcoming Common Interview Challenges 277

Part 5: The Part of Tens 303

Chapter 17: Ten Interview Tips from Hiring Managers 305

Chapter 18: Ten Red Flags You’re Interviewing at a Toxic Workplace 315

Chapter 19: Ten Tips for Landing More Interviews 323

Index 331

Pamela Skillings, is the Chief Coach and Co-Founder of Big Interview (biginterview.com), an online job interview training system that has helped millions ace their interviews. Pamela has 15+ years of experience as a career coach, corporate train­ing professional, and hiring consultant.

Ace the interview, land the job

So your killer resume landed you an interview—congrats! Job Interviewing For Dummies is all about mastering the fine art of interviewing and turning interviews into offers. This book shows you how to go from “Candidate 87” to “that candidate” with a step-by-step approach to bringing your best self to the interview room. You’ll learn to anticipate common questions, handle curveballs, and WOW future employers. Gaps in your resume? Changing careers? Awkward situations to explain? This actionable guide has your back with confidence-boosting tips that will help you get hired.

Inside…

• Level up your interview skills
• Show up with confidence
• Ask the right questions
• Master new interview types
• Stand out to get hired
• Make a great impression
• Follow up to close the deal
• Identify employer red flags
• Interview in any industry