1. Know Yourself Most people dread the moment when their interviewer utters the words - “So, tell me about yourself.” But it’s actually the simplest question to navigate once you get down to the root of what’s being asked. "Tell me about yourself" really translates to: “What can you tell me about how your personality, interests, work habits and background will help you rock this position?” Before you answer, rewind back to when you applied for the job -– the moment you decided that you and the position would be a solid match. Usually, the reasons that ran through your mind before you chose to apply are the answers the interviewer is looking for. Since you’re the most well-versed on the subject of you, this is your moment to paint the picture of what you bring to the table and why you’re the most dynamic and capable person for the job. 2. Bridge the Gap Between Confidence and Enthusiasm (Then Marry the Two) How many times have you been confident in your ability to perform a task but not necessarily enthused about doing it (or vice versa)? Confidence speaks to the way you perceive you, while enthusiasm is more indicative of your feelings about something or someone other than yourself — in this case, the gig. To make sure there’s a healthy balance between the two, draft a list of reasons you’re confident about your ability to perform the job, and pair each one with a reason why you’re enthusiastic about showing up. You should be able to clearly communicate these reasons during your interview. Example: "In over 15 years as a graphic designer, I’ve mastered a number of software programs and techniques. Those skills have helped me contribute to some great work, but the best part of the experience, for me, is collaborating with a team to build something that clients can fall in love with." 3. Use Your LinkedIn Profile to Practice The last thing you want to do in an interview is regurgitate your resume or Linkedin profile. Instead, take a look at how you described your role at previous jobs and practice how you might integrate these into an actual conversation. In other words: if your resume bullet points were complete sentences describing how your experience is relevant to the new job, what would they sound like? To prepare like the pros, do a mock interview with a friend and video record your answers. Ask yourself, “Can I really see myself saying this?" to gauge the authenticity of your delivery. 4. Know When to Wrap It Up Big audiences don’t like a Chatty Cathy -– and neither do busy interviewers. To avoid coming across as a rambler or bad listener, always be mindful of the length of your answers. Even if the interviewer doesn’t give you validation in the form of a nod, smile or laugh, don’t be afraid to simply stop talking once you’ve answered the question. If you can effectively communicate a point in five words, don’t use 25. Trust that if they want to know more, they’ll ask. Need a little practice on this? Do a search for the “most asked interview questions” relevant to the position you’re applying for, jot down the ones you struggle with and practice answering them. Open-ended questions sometimes require lengthier responses, but typically, you should be able to provide a thoughtful answer to most interview questions in under 60 seconds. 5. Be a Team Player The letter "I" stands alone. Unless you’re applying for a position that requires you to work independently, the reality is that stellar results (no matter the industry) require team effort. Be sure to incorporate "we" language to show your ability to work well with others. This doesn’t mean refrain from sharing your individual responsibilities and accomplishments, but be clear about how those things benefitted your team. When in doubt, stick to this equation: What my team does + How I do my part to make sure we get to the finish line = Victory Of course, no two interviews are the same, but if you apply these tips, you’re guaranteed to boost your odds of getting a call back. Knock ‘em dead! Mashable Job Board Listings The Mashable Job Board connects job seekers across the U.S. with unique career opportunities in the digital space. While we publish a wide range of job listings, we have selected a few job opportunities from the past two weeks to help get you started. Happy hunting!

The Daily Muse

When I was a job-seeker, I dreaded interviews. I hated the trick questions, the brainteasers and, most of all, the questions I expected but couldn't quite answer. ("What's your biggest weakness?" was the death of me.)
But when I became a manager and had to interview people for my team, I found myself asking the same tricky and ineffective questions because they were all I knew. That made my hiring decisions pretty tough; after all was said and done, I had no idea whether each candidate was a good fit for the role or not.


If you're a first-time interviewer, don't just wing it. Once you know the right questions to ask, you'll be able to really gauge whether an applicant will be a good addition to your team. And that will not only save you from costly hiring mistakes, it'll also help you recruit the best of the best.

So, I encourage you to learn from my mistakes. Here are three types of questions that I used to ask — and how I've adapted them to make them more effective when I'm interviewing prospective employees.

1. Questions You Already Know the Answers To

When I began my first corporate job, the HR department provided an interview guide that was a little, well, lacking. In fact, the only instructions it provided was to ask the candidate to describe his or her professional experience job-by-job. Following that, it suggested that I ask candidates about their educational background — the school they attended, the classes they took and they major they decided on.

Ultimately, the guide allowed me to hear candidates repeat the information that I already held in my hands: their resume. If I already knew about their background, why would I spend that valuable 30-minute interview having them repeat it to me when I had the opportunity to delve into so much more?

Of course, if there are holes in the applicant's resume that I have questions about (like a gap in work history or an unclear bullet point), I ask. But when those few questions have been answered, I move on to questions that will give the applicant the chance to elaborate on the bullet points they've listed, like "Of the specific projects you mentioned, which contributed most to your professional development, and how?" or "What did you struggle with the most when, as you listed here, you had to work cross-departmentally with the finance and marketing teams?"

This will provide you with information that can't be summarized in succinct bullet points and help you more successfully predict how the potential hire would perform in your team.

2. Arbitrary Questions to Gauge Personality

In my first startup job, my management team and I wanted to make sure any new hires "fit" with the rest of the team. So we came up with what we thought were questions that would help us gauge the personality of each candidate: Think "What's your favorite color?" and "If you could be any animal, what would it be?"
Well, it didn't take many interviews to figure out that this strategy didn't actually provide any helpful insight into the candidate's personality. Most of the time, we were met with a hesitant, "Um, green?"

First, it's important to realize that a candidate's personality will shine though, no matter what question you ask. From a candidate who interjects questions and turns the interview into a conversation to one who thoroughly thinks through a question before thoughtfully answering it — if you pay attention, you can learn a lot.

But if you want to dig even deeper, try curating some targeted questions about the specific personality traits you're after. If you want employees who are spontaneous and go with the flow, try asking, "Tell me about a time when your boss or a client changed a project when you were already halfway finished. What did you do?"

From this answer, you'll gauge both personality and work ethic — and that's a lot more valuable than a favorite color.

3. Questions That Don't Provide the Info You Need

After years of being the interviewee, I felt a rush of power to be on the other side of the table — and that made it very temping to ask riddle-like questions (e.g., "How many tennis balls can you fit into a limousine?") to catch the applicant off guard, instead of soliciting canned, rehearsed responses.

Sure, I got to see how well my candidates thought on their feet, but that didn't really help me determine if they had the skills and abilities needed for the job — especially when I wasn't hiring for a position that required that kind of analytical thought.

Other companies have also found that these infamous startup brainteasers aren't always helpful in interviews. Lazslo Bock, senior vice president of People Operations at Google, recently admitted that he found brainteasers to be a complete waste of time, based on a study the company did on hiring practices. "They don't predict anything," he said. "They serve primarily to make the interviewer feel smart."
Instead, he suggests using a structured behavioral interview, using the same questions to assess each applicant. To create that consistent rubric, one of the most helpful tips I've learned is to first determine the specific skills I was looking for in a candidate — then base questions around those skills.

For example, customer service associates should love talking to people, be able to remain calm during stressful situations, and know how to problem-solve creatively. So, compile a list of questions that will allow your interviewee to demonstrate her expertise (or lack thereof): "Describe a situation when you had to deal with someone who disagreed with you," "Tell me about a time when you didn't have the answer you needed and couldn't find your manager — what did you do?" or "How do you prioritize when you're juggling multiple clients and deadlines?"

Not only will these questions help you truly determine if the person will be able to fulfill the duties of the job, but since you'll ask each candidate the same set of questions, you'll be able to more easily compare answers.
Of course, interviewing strategies could go on for hundreds of pages, but the key takeaway is this: Figure out exactly what you want in an employee, then ask questions that will actually help you gauge those qualities. You'll have a much easier time pinpointing your must-hire employees when you're not trying to decipher tennis ball calculations or the significance of the color blue.