Community Professionals offer interview tips

The Kelley Association of Women MBAs and My Sister’s Closet sponsored an event Tuesday at the Monroe County Public Library designed to explain the interview process and techniques to improve your interview skills.

The event included an interview skills presentation, mock interviews and a question and answer session. They gave these tips on how to successfully tackle the job search and interviewing process.

How to network
Decide what companies you are interested in, find contacts at those companies, have a conversation with your contact and then have follow-up conversations. This is a great way to figure out what working there is like.

Tips for résumés
Keep it to one page. The experience you showcase should show knowledge, responsibility and career progression. Don’t forget to proofread.

Dressing for the interview
Clean up, drop the jewelry, skip the perfume, avoid showing skin and dress like the boss.

First impressions matter
A firm handshake shows confidence and competence. Make eye contact and avoid slouching and crossing your arms.

Be prepared for tough questions
Turn those negatives into positives. Be aware they will ask about gaps in your résumé. Be prepared to answer questions about how your last job ended.

Come with good questions
Your interviewer will ask if you have questions. Have them!

Ask for the job
Don’t forget to sound excited about wanting the position. Make sure they know you’re the person they should hire.

Avoid these mistakes: Don’t leave typographical errors in your résumé, don’t use only the Internet for job searching and networking, don’t show up late to the interview, don’t bring up salary too soon, don’t badmouth a former boss and don’t stop your job search while waiting for a response.