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Job Seekers: Prepare Your Interview Answers Now

Cramming for an interview stinks. If you've ever been called and asked to interview for a job the following day, you know how stressful it can be. When you have less than a day to prepare, there's pressure to print your resume, pick out your interview clothes and figure out where you're going. You don't want to add to this stress by worrying about your interview answers. If you follow these steps, you'll have already completed all the time-consuming interview preparation, leaving you time to polish and practice your answers and do a little more research on the company.

It is never too soon to create your portfolio of interview answers. Even if you haven't started applying for jobs, you can start brainstorming your interview answers.

[See: The 10 Most Common Interview Questions.]

Ask yourself these questions to jog your memory. Over the past few years, you've had some successes at work and outside of work. Now is the time to clear away the cobwebs and take note of your achievements. Start by asking yourself what you were proud of doing at work and what you do better than others around you. Did you receive an award or recognition for your work? If so, that's interview-worthy. Recall the times you went above and beyond to complete an assignment or stepped forward to lead a project. You may even want to review past performance appraisals to jog your memory. Jot down all these successes, and we'll take a look at what to do with them next.

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Every story has a beginning, middle and end. You want your interview answer to be concise, not a rambling, stream-of-consciousness response. The interviewer has a lot on her mind, and it is up to you to hold her attention. Interviewing requires that you become a great storyteller. First you have to craft your stories using answers to the questions above. Begin writing your answers using the STAR technique. S is the situation. Describe, in one sentence, an overview of the situation. T stands for the task assigned or the initiative you took. Next, list the actions you took -- that's what the A stands for. Use bullet points to state what you did, step by step. Finally, R represents results. Describe what the outcome or result of your actions was. What happened -- or didn't happen -- because of the steps you took to resolve the situation and challenge. Try to quantify the time saved, profits made or the impact of your work in your results for extra points.

[See: The 8 Best Questions to Ask a Job Interviewer.]

Fine-tune your answers for the job. Once your interview is scheduled, refine your stories to address the needs of the specific job. Line by line, review each requirement in the job description and see if you have a story that relates. If not, recall a specific example of a time when you did what the company has listed in the job description. Finally, be sure to research the company and the interviewer thoroughly. Be on the lookout interesting experiences and facts you can discuss during the interview to build rapport.

Practice out loud. These compact stories pack a memorable punch. Your interview answers should take about 60 seconds each. Practice your responses out loud. Running through them in your head isn't the same. It is the tone and pace of your delivery that makes a difference. Smile and speak clearly and confidently.

Now you're ready for anything. Whether the interviewer asks you about your greatest strength or asks you to provide an example of your leadership skills, you'll be armed with a succinct yet impactful response. This preparation will help reduce your anxiety. You won't be worried about what questions the interviewer will ask and how you'll answer them. And when you feel less anxious, you'll exude more confidence. Most importantly, you'll impress your interviewer by coming across as prepared and qualified.

[See: 7 Ways to Crush a Phone Interview.]

One last reminder. The interview is a conversation, so be sure you have a list of questions. Your list can have some generic questions, but always have some specific to the company as well. Not only does this show you are interested in the job and company, but asking questions also provides valuable insight. Your goal during the interview process is to learn enough about the position, your future team and your future boss so you can decide if you want the job. The answers to the questions you ask will help you evaluate the opportunity.



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