1 JOB SEEKER, 100 INTERVIEWS, AND 5 TIPS FOR SUCCESS

Who would want to go on 100 job interviews?  Sofia Faruqi, who interviewed at 40 different firms during a six-year stretch that ended in 2013.
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You might think that Faruqi went on so many interviews because she didn’t receive a job offer, but that was not the case.  In fact, she received 11 job offers, and she accepted four of them.

The Wall Street Journal recently spoke with Faruqi, who has certainly accumulated quite a bit of experience and wisdom regarding interviews.  So you could say that in essence, Faruqi agreed to her 101st interview (although an offer of employment was not likely).

Regardless, the WSJ was able to uncover some nuggets of wisdom from Faruqi, which take the form of the following five tips for interview success.
1. Be prepared to “think on your feet.”  Questions could be asked for which you weren’t prepared, and there may even be some inappropriate questions, as Faruqi encountered.  You might also be asked to perform a task or solve a problem, so ready yourself to adapt to whatever course the conversation takes you.
2. Make eye contact often.  According to Faruqi, good body language is all about making and maintaining eye contact with the people interviewing you.  Of course, you don’t want to keep staring at them for so long that it seems creepy.  However, avoiding eye contact raises a red flag in the minds of the interviewers.
3. Exhibit verbal and nonverbal confidence.  Confidence is good, but overconfidence is NOT.  Any behavior that borders on arrogance will only hurt your chances of making a favorable impression and receiving an offer of employment.
4. Focus your energy and attention.  Faruqi addressed this point in terms of a phone interview, but it’s just as important in a face-to-face interview.  Focus on the situation; focus on each question; and focus on being positive, confident, and adaptive.
5. Dress appropriately.  What does this mean?  Simply put, don’t allow your wardrobe to become a distraction to the interview proceedings.  The two words that Faruqi used were “clean” and “professional” . . . so that the interviewer can focus on the task at hand just as much as you are.

What are your thoughts regarding these five tips?  What has been your experience during interviews, both telephone and face-to-face?  Would you ever go on 100 interviews?