Interview Express: Know How to Prepare for an Interview and Ace It to Get a Job

Daniel Wells’ “Interview Express: Know How to Prepare for An Interview And Ace It to Get A Job” is a book that provides applicable tips to job seekers with the intent of helping them to better prepare for an interview after being invited to do so. Although these tips are most useful for those who have already been asked to come in and speak about the possibility of filling a position, it could also be useful to those who are in the applications process and want to plan ahead in regards to what steps they’ll take immediately after receiving a call back from a hiring manager or other HR personnel. Largely centering around providing practical tips, “How to Prepare for An Interview…” jumps right in with a sort of exercise that prompts you to recall past interview experiences. By asking us to analyze what went well, and what did not, the author seems to simultaneously ask readers to recall what we already know about how to interview effectively while pointing out that sometimes it’s hard to pinpoint exactly where things didn’t work to our benefit. He later goes on to say that sometimes, not getting the job is a result of there having been a more qualified applicant, or even an unexpected lack of funding, and not a sign that the interview simply didn’t go well. The tips provided throughout the book in the form of exercises are suitable to just about anyone, making the information accessible. Daniel suggests taking steps such as recruiting allies before going into the interview and offers insights on how to handle delicate situations like turning down an impromptu interview. Readers should keep in mind that, depending on their field of work, there are some tips listed that may or may not be applicable to their specific situation. For instance, having a parent who is familiar with the work place to help you with deciding what to wear for an interview may be a great decision for those looking to enter the traditional corporate world, but for those entering a more relaxed atmosphere in the creative field, a parental suggestion that may work for one sort of job interview (let’s say an interview for a position at a bank) may work against an applicant in another sort of interview (let’s say for a position at an edgy fashion magazine where wearing something like a simple blue suit may show that you’ll have an issue fitting into a more bold corporate culture). However, the tip is not at all without merit, and without the specific mention of asking a parent, this advice boils down to getting a second opinion on your interview outfit from someone who knows. This is not at all a difficult read. The book is very to the point, and surprisingly conversational in tone occasionally; words like “wanna” and “yup” standout as shockingly casual. Although terms like “black hole” and “twilight zone” used early on to describe the interview process present interviews as daunting, a level of positivity is offered to readers as the concept that only the qualified are being called in to interview is presented. This may be a revelation for some. At times, the formatting of the book can be a little distracting. Certain words are placed in italics unnecessarily, there are underlined words and words in bold text that sort of appear to be placed that way at random. However, this is not enough of a distraction to make the book unreadable, and many readers may not think twice about it. The advice pertaining to not being yourself may seem controversial, but in depth, what it really deals with is not getting too personal or familiar, which are great things to keep in mind. I’d recommend this book to job seekers looking for ways to improve on the way they prepare to go into an interview, especially as a companion piece to further reading.

There are very important moments in life and one of those is a job interview. Making or breaking one of them will impact your life. Getting the right job will gain you experience which will help you get better jobs in the future. Of course getting that first job is extremely daunting as it's a new experience. Fast forward a few job interviews and the interview is common place but waiting for a reply never stops being hard. And even though job interviews start to feel like just another Tuesday, you always need reminders to help you get better. Hence I picked up Interview Express. Even though I've been through countless interviews I wanted to make sure I would still keep going strong. I wanted to make sure that there wasn't something that I missed. I liked the book's focus on showing you what the other side is experiencing. Yes, I'm nervous about doing what's right but so are they. They have to make sure they are hiring the right person while I have to make sure that they know I am that person. An employer has to be free from discrimination. As someone with a disability I can assure you that sometimes they won't say why they won't hire you so they can't be blamed for discrimination. A little loophole around that is that if you don't have to bring up your disability, don't. This assumes that you can hide it. A few people I met don't know I'm disabled unless I bring it up so if you can hide it, do so. When the book mentions the waiting process I got flashbacks. It is a hard thing to wait to not hear anything at all and the generic 'we didn't hire you' e-mails are great to see so that you feel noticed. I like how the book mentions you should play a more active role. It seems that the people you know can make it easier for you to be hired instead of your qualifications. If I was living in a different area I know a friend who could make it extremely easy for me to work at a local store. I like that it's mentioned in this day and age that there are easy ways to network. Mentioning not going to the HR department to look for people inside a company was a very good point to bring up. I have never personally tried to connect to a company before an interview and I will take note of this lesson for future interviews. I've had an impromptu interview over the phone and it went horribly. There is no real way to prepare and you can't get comfortable beforehand. I really wish I had declined to do the interview then and there because it had the same result of not actually doing an interview. It was really that bad. With phone interviews I also have the problem of not being good over the phone at all. One of the questions the book says to ask is one I have never considered: why is the position opened. I've always been too interested to get the interview to actually question why it is opened. I never thought about how to be successfully hired by why the position is opened. When going over job descriptions the book brings up that you don't need to meet every qualification. This is something that friends and family have all told me at one point or another. I shouldn't dismiss one job because I am not a perfect match. These are only a few points in the book and I don't want to take up a few pages talking about everything so I won't. I will end this review by saying this was a very helpful book as it both made me look at interviews in a new light and reminded me of important things. If you are preparing for an interview I would highly suggest checking this book out.

It is not easy to go through an interview anyone that has ever had a job more than likely has had to do an interview. Those people know the pains of sweating through loads of questions about previous employers, how would you handle this and more. Daniel Wells and KnowIt Express help you cut through the mist and figure out how to ACE your interview. We have all been in the position where we have gone to an interview think we have done well and then never gotten a callback. It is the worst feeling for a potential employer to not call you back and say "We are sorry we found someone else." It feels bad when they do but it is worse that they don't feel you were even worth their time to tell you that you're not getting the position. They also help by giving you pointers on taking the interview, such as when talking about your successes ensure to explain the challenges and failures that led to those successes. The old adage presentation is everything holds true with interviews as well. If you present yourself and what you know how to do well then the employer will understand this. Same as judging a book by its cover example. Something that caught my eye in this book is that it says Do Not be Yourself, which is something we are all taught as children by our parents. "Be yourself they will like you better, " is what my Mother always told me. Well, this book turns it around, for instance, keeping your opinions to yourself, be professional, not casual and cool and above all don't tell them your life's story. There is a load of information in this book that will help to prepare someone for their next interview and possibly get the job. I know will definitely use this information next time I need to interview for a position.