Congratulations, youÕve been asked to interview! If youÕve made it this far it means that the employer has narrowed it down to just a few candidates. (This because your cover letter and resume were so awesome, of course!)

But donÕt get too confident. There is no second place in this race, and the interview is the final stretch.

This is a typical interview: You enter and ask to see the person youÕre interviewing with. YouÕll be led to an office or conference room. Sometimes you will be interviewed by more than one person. They will describe the job to you and then ask if you have any questions. They will then ask you a series of questions.

Here are some tips to make a typical interview into a great one Ð

Research -- DonÕt go in cold! Google the company, know what it does, where it does it, what the companyÕs philosophy is, and whoÕs who. At least know what the company does and who is interviewing you and what their job title is.

Practice Ð Like standardized tests, if you just study for an interview, youÕll have an edge. Employers, like the SAT, usually ask the same questions. Consider these...

• Why do you want to work for this company?
• What are your strengths?
• What are your weaknesses?
• Are you organized? How?
• How have your experiences made you an ideal candidate for this job?
• Why should we choose you over another candidate?

Ask Back Ð DonÕt be afraid to ask your own questions. YouÕre there to interview them as much as theyÕre there to interview you. In other words, make sure you know what youÕre getting yourself into. Also, if you have questions theyÕll see that youÕre interested and mature. Some good questions to consider...

• What is a typical day like here?
• What is the biggest challenge of this job?
• What are the hours? Will I be working overtime?
• What is the pay? Will I get paid overtime? Are there benefits?
• WhatÕs the best thing about this job? WhatÕs the worst?

What To Bring Ð

• Notebook and pen: YouÕll probably be nervous, and youÕll probably want to fidget. So bring a notebook and pen. ItÕll give you something to play with and you can take notes. Not only will this make a good Òemployee-of-the-monthÓ impression, but youÕll probably want to reference some of the details of the job later when you go home.
  
• Resume: Yes, they already have a copy. Bring one anyway. Some employers will have it but to test you, will ask you for another copy. Bring at least 2 copies in case you are interviewed by more than one person.

Dress the Part Ð Even if youÕre interviewing for a surf teacher position, donÕt go in wearing flip-flops and a T-shirt. If itÕs a casual job, think Òdress casualÓ. If itÕs an office job, donÕt think casual at all. ItÕs better to overdress than underdress.

Now you have the tools. And just like with the SAT, all you have left now is to prepare, eat a healthy breakfast the day of, and go for it. Remember, if youÕve made it this far, they already like you.

Good luck!