5 Ways to Prepare to Get the Job You Want

glassdoor.com

Imagine, without any transcript or school credentials to back me up, I got the managerial jobs I wanted when I used to apply for jobs. While most people were so problematic about applying for jobs and especially the interview, I was enjoying all of them. You know what their real problems was? The inability to express themselves well in English, both oral and written.

They had the best credentials in the world, a lot better than what I put in my resume. But when interview time and exams came, their results negated all their excellent school records. And it wasn't that they couldn't speak in English or answer the interview and exam questions. Their problem was speaking and writing confidently.

You see, without the needed self confidence (or too much of it), everything else tends to debacle. You stutter and say and write silly things about yourself. And you look like you're interrogated than talking professionally with the interviewer. In fact, with the right self confidence, you can even put the interviewer in an insecure situation without meaning to with how you present yourself well. It happened to me a lot of times--interviewers ending up being the interviewees.

To avoid being too confident and ending up with welling pride, learn to be meek and nice. Check my article on this by visiting this link!

So, here are my 5 ways to prepare to get the job you want:

1. Read a lot! While yet in college, I read lots of books. I always read newspapers cover to cover and loved analyzing editorials. I saved part of my allowance to buy good books. Later, when I began earning money on the side from my drafting skills while still in college (I was also a working student), I bought more books. If you encounter a new word, look it up in the dictionary to enrich your vocabulary and learn how to pronounce them right. Read, read, read!

2. Talk a lot to Yourself! Ever heard of soliloquy? I got the habit from my dad who always talked to himself verbally. He spoke out how he'd explain a subject matter and even entertained questions from his "audience," his imagined audience, that is, because he was also a public speaker. I soliloquized a lot, talking to myself as I faced the mirror and correcting any bad mannerisms or facial expressions. I also imagined talking to an interviewer or facing a big audience. I made it a point to speak clearly and pronounce words correctly. Later, I tested my speaking skills with people I met, then much later, to audiences of various sizes. I'm telling you, it does wonders to how you perform in any job interviews. Piece of cake. While still in college and fresh out of it, I was already a job interview master, by God's grace.

3. Write a lot! You may say, "I'm not a writer." Well, neither was my mom, but she wrote a lot! She kept this diary where she wrote in English. The habit developed her writing ability, grammar, and even the way she spoke. Writing makes you naturally write and speak English with good grammar. I picked up the habit of doing diaries (and now blogs) and wrote a lot, until I just found myself able to write so well that I put several of my college professors in an insecure position with my essays without meaning to. Even when doing researches and class oral reports, I enjoyed them so much while all my classmates found them daunting.

In fact, I got excellent grades during our thesis deliberations, all because of my love for reading and writing, which are all by God's grace. Everything is because God is good and great!

4. Exercise regularly! A lot of people, even most of those who give advices on job interviews, don't connect physical conditioning with speaking ability especially during job interviews. But there is a direct relationship between them. Nervousness is among your worse enemies during job interviews, and if you don't exercise regularly, controlling your heart beat can be a problem.

I've been an exercise buff, so a job interview or exam was never a big deal to me. I was always calm, enjoyed everything, and thought clearly. My heart beat and BP were always normal. Nervousness can rattle you up especially with timed exams. But with good health and fitness, your brain and nervous system function well. And by the way, being fit makes you stand, walk and sit more confidently. You wear clothes well, too.

5. Eat right! Being overweight takes away a lot of points from your interview rate. So make it a habit to exercise and eat right. And eat healthy food, especially for brain health and memory enhancement. Fish (salmon, mackerel, and tuna for instance) and nuts (peanuts, walnuts, macadamia, almonds, pistachio) are good, as well as green leafy vegetables (spinach, broccoli, and camote tops), sunflower seeds, avocado, berries, and lean meat.

Remember, the 5 tips here are preparations way before a job interview and exam. Don't do them the night before. They won't work overnight. You have to be doing them for at least 6 months or more to benefit well from them. especially reading, writing, and exercise. Make them your habits.

For more on good specific answers for specific job interview questions, check this out!