In this day and age, developing a professional resume is easier than ever.  There are multiple resume construction websites as well as professional resume software available for purchase.  There are also resume services that will interview job seekers and create for them a professional resume that shapes talents and skills so that they are particularly attractive to growing companies in a specific region.  Human resources officers find these professional resumes, are duly impressed, and contact the respective candidates.   Interviews are scheduled, and candidates prepare.  ; Some candidates, however, don’t prepare and cannot land the job and close the deal.  What should job applicants do to appropriately prepare for a job interview?

                Research:  Candidates should spend as much time as possible researching a company prior to an interview.  Most companies have web sites that contain pertinent information on its diversity policies, benefits, and often offer the requirements of available positions.  Knowledge of the company and its culture will be obvious to the interviewer during a first meeting and will show the candidate is a forward thinker and a true professional. Further, company research will ensure that the candidate actually wants to invest time and energy in a company.

                Underselling Themselves:  Candidates should be prepared to assert their aptitude, skills, and the ways in which they can help the company achieve its mission.  Obviously, the company is looking for workers; the successful applicants are those who can illuminate their proficiencies and talents and convince the interviewer that their experience is best for the available position.

                Failing to Listen:  In most cases, employers know what they want in a new hire; they know what questions they want to ask and know what answers they hope to hear.  A successful candidate will listen to the questions asked, detect the subtext of those questions, and answer accordingly.  For example, a question about meeting deadlines may really be an inquiry into one’s management style.  Applicants may know what information they hope to impart, but they must listen to the company’s representatives and follow the lead of the interviewer.  Interaction should be give and ta ke.

                Maintain Professionalism:  A brief mention of the World Series or the Final Four is a good ice-breaker and can make an interview more comfortable for all involved.  However, personal information which has no bearing on the issues at hand is not appropriate.  A candidate’s reasons for adjusting administrative style or shifting focus from email to personal communications is important and may include some real workplace or life experiences, but these are only significant if they are relevant to the available position.  Candidates should not discuss personal relationships, irrelevant health or medical issues, or even the p arking problem encountered that morning. 

                Currently, developing a professional resume is the easiest part of landing the perfect job.  Interviewers are prepared to meet and conference with applicants; applicants should be prepared to demonstrate their skills and professionalism.  Candidates should be prepared to become new hires.