The outcome of your interview is often decided before you even step into the interview room. Preparation is the key for successful interviews. Below are some simple guidelines to help you prepare for your next interview.

你的面試結果很多時候在你踏進面試房間之前就已經定下來了，事先的準備是面試是否成功的關鍵?？纯聪旅娴拿嬖囍改希Ｍ軒椭忝嬖嚦晒?。

Before the Interview

面試之前

1. Personal Preparation 個人準備

Be sure to take time beforehand to make sure that you are comfortable with not only what, but how you will present yourself during the interview. You also will benefit from taking the hour before the interview to relax completely and put your mind at ease.

一定提前要花時間去看看你自己在面試過程中會表現得怎么樣，而不是僅僅看看自己是否舒服。在面試之前花幾個小時徹底放松一下身心會讓你受益匪淺的。

2. Do Your Homework 做好功課

You can never know too much about an industry, a company, its competitors, and all relevant news. Doing your homework can often decide the fate of your interview before you even step foot in the office.

你是不可能對每一個行業、某一家公司、它的競爭對手以及所有有關的新聞都了解得特別多。提前功課做得好不好，在你踏進面試辦公室之前，就已經決定你的命運了。

The Day of the Interview

面試當天

1. Punctuality 準時

Three words: Don’t Be Late. Tardiness is inexcusable.

三個字：別遲到。辦事拖拉是沒辦法辯解的。

2 Appearance 穿著

As a rule of thumb, one can never be overdressed. That being said, you will always want to go classy-conservative, which for women means business suit (slacks are generally preferable to skirts), and for men means deep base color (black or navy blue).

一般來說，沒有人會過分打扮自己。這也就是說，你總是想穿的穩重優雅，對于女士來說就是要穿商務套裝(褲子會比裙子更適合面試場合);對于男士來說就是深色的服裝(黑色或深藍色)。

During the Interview

面試進行時

1. The First Impression 第一印象

You must set the tone of your interview in the first thirty seconds. You will want to establish a couple of elevator pitches beforehand. Imagine that you are in an elevator and you only have a few floors to make a positive, lasting impression.

你必須在面試開始的半分鐘之內就打好基調。事先就要準備好幾個電梯開場白，想象一下你如果在電梯里，那么你只有很短的(幾層樓的)時間，想辦法給人留下一個積極的、深刻的印象。

2. Understand Your Audience 讀懂你的聽眾

Read your interviewer carefully. Does he/she seem very conservative? Extremely outgoing? Make sure that your attitude reflects and complements your interviewer’s.

仔細研究一下主考官，他/她看上去很保守嗎?還是非常外向?一定要讓你的看法和主考官一致而且補充道他/她的觀點。

3. Personal Branding 個人品牌

You are your own brand, and the interview is your chance to sell yourself. Make sure to do things like look the potential employer in the eye while speaking and to refer to your potential employer by his/her first (or last) name.

你自己本身就是一個品牌，面試則是你推銷自己的機會。一定要做一些事情，比如說話的時候，眼睛看著對方(未來的雇主)并且稱呼他/她的名字(或姓)。

After the Interview

面試之后

The Follow-up Letter 跟蹤信

Write a letter to the interviewer following your interview, making sure to summarize what you talked about and mentioning again how you could benefit the organization. Never miss a chance to say again why you are the perfect person for the job!

寫一封信去跟蹤你的面試，一定要總結一下你在面試里都談到了那些內容，也要再次提到你會給這個機構帶來什么樣的效益。不要錯過任何一個機會，來表達你是這份工作的最合適人選。