Interviewing is easy

Anyone telling you that interviewing is easy is probably not being entirely truthful about their experiences. But what makes interviewing difficult?

The interviewer holds all the aces for a start. He or she can ask almost anything they like and the burden of proof is on the interviewee to answer convincingly. I always seemed to be asked at least one question per interview that I wasn't expecting. A friend of mine was asked recently, "Why have you spent 8 years with your current company?". I am still trying to understand the logic behind that question as I write so would hate to think of my response during interview!

So how can interviewing be made easier? In my view, interviewing gets a lot easier when you know why you want to be there and how you are qualified for the job. When this is true, your answers no longer need to be precisely prepared because the subject matter is distinctly home turf. Answering questions that you have already given a great deal of thought to no longer feels awkward and the way you respond to the interviewer benefits as a result.

Successful interviewees are very comfortable being questioned. They have taken the time to understand what is important to them, what they are good at and what they would like to have more of in their careers. The foundations for interview success can sound simple but as interviewing proves to us time and again, simple questions don't always have easy answers.