Interviewing is an art more than a science, so it does take preparation and practice to ace the interview. Here are two traits the very best interviewers demonstrate.

1) Confidence - I find this lacking, especially with candidates that have been in a job search for a long time. As candidates become more and more desperate they tend to exude less and less confidence. This comes across in a number of ways that I believe most candidates don't even realize. For example, body language, how you sit in the chair, eye contact, tone of voice, confidence when answering questions, staying so general when answering a question for fear that getting too specific or detailed may rule you out, or giving long rambling answers so as to encompass everything in the hope that you have covered what they are looking for.

Nobody wants to hire a person that isn't confident. This is especially true at the manager level and up. Most candidates are more confident on the job than in an interview so it is very important that the interviewer sees the same confidence you will bring to the job.

2) Preparation - This is the solution to having confidence. Taking the time to properly prepare is the biggest thing that candidates fail to do (or do properly) and I have seen this happen over and over again. Poor preparation is just as bad as no preparation.

When I coach candidates here are some of the ways we prepare:

1. I have the candidate write out answers to frequently asked questions. Candidates know that the questions about their ideal job, why they want to work here, compensation, why they left their last company, their strengths/weaknesses, management style and so on are going to be asked. Take some time to have prepared and practiced answers to these questions.

2. Video record yourself in a mock interview. This is one of the most powerful things you can do to prepare. This helps you see what the interviewer sees. You will see how you answer the questions, your body language, if you look at them when answering, how often you say, "UH" or "like," if you actually answer the question the person asked you and if you come across confidently. These small things make a big difference in an interview.

On the surface, as you read these, they seem so obvious. Most are thinking, "I already know this stuff." This may be true, however, knowing something and mastering it are substantially different. Good preparation and practice will help you master interviewing.

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I welcome your thoughts and comments.