All of my friends had jobs but I didn’t. That’s because they had a “hook up”. At times, I wished I had a hook up! If I did, I wouldn’t have to go through all those nervous interviews, or waste my ink on those applications that probably got thrown.

One day I asked my grandmother, “Why does no one want to hire me?” She said it was because I didn’t have any experience. How was I supposed to have experience when I’d never had a job before? Even McDonald’s wouldn’t hire me. I applied there so many times. It was a shame.

The Gap was one of the hardest places to apply. Once you filled out an application, the managers would interview you right on the spot. It made me so nervous that I couldn’t talk right. The first question they asked was, “Why do you want to work for the Gap?” Your mind was telling you to say, “For the money.” But you didn’t want to say that because you didn’t want to make yourself sound greedy, even if it’s the truth. So I said, “Because I’m familiar with what the company does, which is selling clothes.”

However, not for long there was another question that always seemed to get me every time, “What can you bring to this company?” I didn’t know, maybe more customers? By the time I got ready to pick it up, I heard them say, “If we don’t contact you in 24 hours, you don’t get the job.”

But if I was asked that question now, I would say, “I’m a hard worker and a very reliable person, and with these kinds of abilities I cannot only do a good job, but I can influence other employees to do so too.”

Despite all the bad luck I seemed to have, I didn’t give up. Eventually, I finally found a summer job.

   The following axe the most common mistakes people make in interviews — the biggest make or break interviewing mistakes:

1. Lack of a good preparation.

【小题1】 One has to prepare himself to make good research on the company, the position and for every related questions that may be asked. Therefore, refine (改善) your answers to the technical questions, the hard questions and the frequently asked interviewing questions. The more you practice, the more professional answers you deliver.

2.【小题2】

You should provide good examples of your background and skills for the position. Why are you fit for the position? Sell yourself. Take the opportunity to talk about your past experience and achievements — sell yourself to the said position.

3. Arriving late.

【小题3】 Though it may happen because of many good reasons, you should apologize first to recover from this first interaction failure.

4. Body language failures.

Poor eye contact, a bad handshake, sitting inappropriately and not smiling naturally are the best evidence for losing a job interview. Don’t let nerves take control of you — relax before an interview.【小题4】 Because these little things make a difference.

5. Failure to ask good questions.

When it is your turn to ask questions, you should show your interest in the job by asking intelligent questions about the job opportunities and the position duties.【小题5】 However, do not ask too many questions for the sake of asking questions — connect yourself to the job and take the initiative (主动权) to ask technical questions and other questions that present your ambition to advance your career.

   You should always prepare for an interview whether you are about to face a traditional question-and-answer interview or a behavioral interview. There are things you can do before a behavioral interview that will put you at ease,make you feel and look more confident and make you stand out from the competition.

The first thing you must try to do is determine what competencies（技能）the prospective employer is looking for in a candidate（申请者）. Carefully read through the job announcement even  if you've already done this. It usually includes clues about the type of candidate the employers are seeking. This information may simply be listed under job requirements or it may be hidden within the list of job duties. If it's the latter,you will have to figure out what competencies are needed to perform those duties.

Another way to learn what competencies the employer desires is to talk to a recruiter（招聘人员） if you get through one. You should also use your network to connect with people who know about the prospective employer and you will know what qualities he most values.

If you cant get definitive answers about the particular position for which you are applying, try to make some educated guesses about the qualities needed for similar jobs.

You can consult job announcements for similar positions to find out what qualities other employers are seeking.

Once you have figured out what competencies the employer wants, you will have to come up with specific examples of how you used them. Try to answer some of the sample questions that follow. Do not be unclear in your responses. You will have to give enough information to prove that you possess a particular competency.