​​By the time you step into a room for an interview, nothing should come as a surprise. You should be familiar with the company, its strategic goals, the people you’re meeting and your own strengths and weaknesses. Like an athlete training for game day, the interview is a chance to show all your preparation and let your skills shine. To show up ready, here are six ways to prepare for your interview. Research the company and interviewers  Prepare a scouting report for yourself. What positions do the people interviewing you hold? Check their LinkedIn profiles or get information from your contacts about them. Find out which issues the company is grappling with and identify the company’s top strategic objectives. Bring supporting materials  Show, don’t just tell. Bring a portfolio of your work, even if you haven’t been asked to. If you are interviewing for a higher level position, perhaps you can also bring a draft of a 30-60-90 Day Plan. It must outline what you intend to do when hired, and demonstrate to the hiring manager that you are the best candidate. Prepare answers to common questions Some questions are asked by almost every interviewer you'll encounter. Here's how to answer the most common interview questions. ​Polish your presentation  It’s not just what you say; it’s how you say it. Pay attention to how you are going to carry your body posture. If you don't display confidence and professionalism during the interview, you will lose a competitive advantage. Practice how you’re going to present eye contact, handshakes and even your listening.  Conduct a mock interview Your answers may make sense in your head, but how do they sound when you communicate them? The career center at your college more than likely will have services to conduct a mock job interview. If this service isn’t available, rehearse your answers with a friend during each step of the interviewing process. Have questions Finally, when interviewers give you the opportunity to turn the tables, don't waste it. Know in advance what you want to ask. Here are interview questions to ask hiring managers.  ​Preparing for job interviews includes knowing as much as you can about the company, as well as knowing what you have to offer to help it be more successful. Be prepared. Be confident. Be ready. ​

​If your job interviews aren't resulting in job offers, you could be sabotaging yourself.​Job interviews are the last step to receiving a job offer. That doesn't mean every interview will land you an offer, not every interviewee can get the job. However, if you are going to a lot of interviews and not getting any job offers, it's possible that one of these five things could be holding you back.Bad first impression If you make a bad first impression, you could still land the job, but it will be a very difficult hurdle to overcome. Things that can contribute to a bad first impression? Showing up late for the interview, not dressing appropriately, or not acting professionally during the interview. Before interview process begins, rehearse your interviewing skills with someone who can, and will, give you honest feedback.You don't explain why you're qualified for the job Employers seek job candidates with specific qualifications relevant to the position. Discover what qualifications your interviewer is looking for. If you don't have the required qualifications, then don't waste your time or theirs. Instead, search for jobs for which you are qualified, and practice explaining how you are qualified to hold the job.You talk negatively about your current or previous employer What goes on in the mind of an interviewer when she hears trash talk against a former or previous employer is, “Will this person talk bad about me or my company?” Granted, there are some bad employers out there, but learn to talk about your employment experiences tactfully so that you don't have to go negative.You haven't researched the company If you have not researched the company, it will show. Put some legwork upfront and learn something about the organization that you can discuss in the job interview. Being prepared will demonstrate to the person interviewing you that you have come prepared and are engaged in the process.You don't ask questions about the job If you have taken the steps necessary to demonstrate your qualifications for the job and have researched the company, you should have no problem coming up with  a few strategic questions to ask your interviewer about the job. Write them down before you leave your house, and keep them handy so that you can refer to them during the interview if you get stuck. When interviewing for a position, take the time to make a good first impression, research the company, ask good questions, rehearse your job qualifications and keep the conversation positive. ​This article is contributed by Right Management, www.rightmanagement.sg, the global career experts within the ManpowerGroup.

​With the job market tighter than ever, you now have more choice and discretion when selecting an employer. Taking the time to choose an employer wisely benefits everyone.In every job search, there comes a time to turn the tables. Companies spend so much time evaluating job applicants, it can be easy to forget that assessment is a two-way street. When applying for a job or getting recruited, you should evaluate potential employers as well. When more companies than ever are struggling to fill roles, you can be more selective than ever about where you choose to work if you have the skills employers need. Here’s some questions to ask in the interview process to help you make the right choice. ​What is a normal career path for someone holding that position?By asking this question, you can evaluate your own career path to see if you are a good candidate for a particular position. It's also a great way to learn about potential directions you can take your career in the future. ​What does your company value? The most harmonious workplaces have people who share the same values. If you find that the people who you work closely with, or the leaders of the organization have conflicting values, then you will never be happy working there. For instance, if you value work-life integration and the workplace culture supports working 70 hours each week, that will introduce a lot of stress into your life.​How would you describe the corporate culture? It may be impossible to describe what happens daily in a dynamic workplace. But at the very least, you want to understand the culture to determine your fit. Are there a lot of meetings? Is the daily communication in the office predominantly top down or bottom up? Is it a social environment in and outside the workplace? By honing in on what the culture looks like, you can assess the larger picture of how you might fit in. ​Where do you see your company in the future? In today's rapidly-changing world of work, job security is never guaranteed. But, it's often more likely with a company that has a clear vision for the future. This question should reveal the organization's plans to remain sustainable and to better understand the kind of opportunities that might be available.​Remember, you have just as much right to evaluate a future employer as they do to evaluate you. When everyone goes into the situation with their eyes open, it’s more likely that everyone will be satisfied in the future.  ​This article is contributed by Right Management, www.rightmanagement.sg, the global career experts within the ManpowerGroup.

​Not every answer in an interview has to be a grand monologue. Instead, do your research on the finer details to score points.​Memorize the company’s mission The difference between two equally qualified candidates for a job can come down to, who really wants this particular job? You can set yourself apart from being just another job seeker by knowing what the company stands for. Don’t just repeat the company mission statement back, which can sound disingenuous. Instead, relate a story to why what the company for resonates with you.  Look up recent posts on social media A company isn’t a static entity, but an ever-evolving institution just like any person. To stay in touch with what’s currently going on with the organization, familiarize yourself with any news the company has recently been posting about in social media. This will both help you get a better sense of what’s important to the company, and can also provide you fodder to discuss in the interview.  Talk to current employees For most people, talking to current employees means asking someone for a favor to put in a good word for you. Instead of that approach, talk to someone who currently works at the company to ask them what they like most about working there. This can inform your research and help shape your thoughts about why you want to work for the company.  Know your interviewers’ names Nothing in language sounds as sweet as your own name, and someone you just met using your first name shows that you care and pay attention to detail. Don’t overdo it by peppering every sentence with someone’s name of course. Instead, use it in subtle ways, such as the end of the interview calling them by name when you make your goodbyes.  Show up with references If things go well, your interviewers will call your references to see what others say about you. Give them a preview by typing up and printing out highlights of praise for specific skills that others have given you. You can reach out to references to get this, or simply compile a list from LinkedIn recommendations. A word of caution: There’s a fine line between looking prepared and looking conceited, so save this until the end for after you’ve built up a rapport.  Ultimately, you want to keep these small gestures in perspecti