"Those who reach greatness in life reach it through concentration" - Upanishads

Beauty is truth, truth is beauty, that is all you need to know"
- John Keats

The Job Interview

"You must believe that your job is worth doing...that it has a significant purpose... that the world will be a better place for your passing. This conviction will help make life and work a joy, rather than a burden to be tolerated".

"There is nothing stronger in the world than gentleness" - Han Suyin

I don't think anyone enjoys job interviewing. Our palms get sweaty, our heart rate soars and blood pressure increases. Always in the back of our mind is the question..."what if I blow it"?

Preparation is the answer. While you cannot anticipate every question you will be asked, you can definitely predict the types of questions. Read everything you can about preparing for job interviews. Role play in front of a mirror to see how you look. Tape your voice to hear how you sound. Concise, confident answers delivered in a strong voice accompanied by excellent posture can put you far ahead in the game.

You are probably going to be asked some variation on the following:

• Describe a situation where things were going poorly and you turned it around. Specifically, how did you do that?
• Tell us about the accomplishment you are most proud of.
• Describe a situation where you failed to perform as well as you expected. What did you do to turn it around?
• Describe a situation where you were not getting full cooperation from your team mates. What did you do to change things?
• Tell us about a time when your manager was leading you in a direction you felt sure would result in failure. What steps did you take? What was the result?
• Tell us about a time when you displayed leadership qualities to motivate co-workers or a team.

Search the web for an extensive list of potential interview questions. About.com has an excellent list - click here to check it out.

Have your answers ready. After hearing a question you must quickly decide "what general type of question is this"? Apply the closest appropriate answer, trying to make it fit the question. Remember to give specific, concrete examples whenever possible. Try to put a positive spin on things. You may be asked to discuss past failures. Tell them about something good that came out of the experience.

Keep your head and stay calm. Take deep, slow breaths. Answer confidently. Engage the interviewer by leaning forward and maintaining eye contact. Enthusiasm and energy attract people like a magnet.

And don't forget about research. Hiring managers have often told me they are amazed at the number of people who show up not having a clue about the company. The information is on the web. Do your homework and impress them by knowing products, competitors and trends.