One of the best ways to get good at something is by doing it and practicing it. Something like a job interview is no different and that is why every one you go to is valuable experience, even if you don’t get the job.

I have a friend who has gone to many interviews for jobs she had no interest in! When I asked why she spent all that time interviewing for jobs she didn’t even want, she told me it was for the experience. You never know what questions will be asked and every interview you show up for, the more practice you get answering the wide array of questions thrown at you. Believe me, one bad answer to a question you never anticipated can turn a whole interview into a downward spiral.

That is why you should never turn down a job interview. Too many job seekers are lazy these days and hope to get a job by doing little more than filling out applications online. Sending out resumes and cover letters by email and applying to things online has almost gotten too easy. Many people looking for work treat the job hunt like email spammers do: the more you send out, the better your odds of someone being interested. Jobs for college students and graduates are out there but you have to work harder than that to get them.

Another thing you can do to get better at job interviews are to record yourself with video. Everyone has or knows someone with a video camera and you should use it to your advantage. It has never been easier to see for yourself exactly what you look and sound like in an interview.

Have a friend prepare five to ten questions and then sit down with you for the interview. Being able to watch yourself in action may reveal some things that need to be worked on that you weren’t aware of. We all have an idea of what we think we sound and look like but when we see ourselves on camera, it’s not always as good as we think. Video taping practice job interviews is a great way to polish your style and give you a better shot at impressing a recruiter or hiring manager.

You will most likely have to interview to get any type of a job, whether it be an hourly part time job or something higher paying and more permanent. There are more people in all age groups of society than there are jobs right now so the competition is high and the ball is really in the employer’s court. They have the luxury of choosing the best and you the job seeker has to do the best you can to stand out from all the other applicants.

When you interview for any job there is one thing you must make sure you DON”T do. That is, to come across as bitter, frustrated, angry, or any other adjective that might show that you are upset with how hard it is to find work.

Many of you have been looking for a long time and been through many interviews. It is getting old to never be called back or to not get any hint that you are getting closer to a job. The more interviews you do and the more failures you have, it becomes easy to let your frustrations show. This is NOT something any interviewer wants to see and it shows your character in a negative way. Even though it is perfectly understandable to be upset and frustrated, you just don’t want to let that be known in an interview.

Keeping upbeat and hopeful is a trick in an of itself in this job market. Good jobs for college graduates are damn hard to find and after 4 or more years of studying and working hard for that degree, it is a big letdown to seemingly not get any reward. It is tough for all students looking for jobs but if you let it get to you, it will show in an interview and that will be an automatic strike against you.

Put yourself in a recruiter’s position: would you hire a college student who is negative and appears upset or would you hire someone who acts as though this is the first interview and they are ready to get going on the job if hired. Interviewers and recruiters can tell if you are upbeat and positive and they will probably only choose those that are. So, if it seems like forever since you started looking for a job, take a look at the things you say in an interview and your body language. Perhaps you need to change some of those right away to give yourself a better chance.