As you get back into the swing of things after a layoff, you’re going to be setting appointments for interviews. Sure, you’ll be nervous, with such touchy subjects as how you lost your last job and what have you been doing since then. Think these things over and have a well-versed response. It will help if you type up some answers to stock questions, and then read them out loud, so as to make yourself fluent, so you may answer the questions without hesitation.

For instance, the awkward question as to why you lost your lost job should be handled with frank aplomb, having certainly without a wince, but with a matter-of-fact sureness that you can handle the situation, that you’ve learned from any mistake that you made, or otherwise understand why you lost the job, without any hint of bitter resentment.

Further, prepare for yourself a statement as to what you’ve been doing since that time, such as volunteering, studying up materials, taking classes, or whatever else. It would be smart, of course, do be on these things, to take advantage of the extra time to build your skill set and make yourself more desirable for your next employer.

If you are being interviewed by a company you are certain you want to work with, don’t go in blind. Look up if they’ve been in the news lately, talk, if you can, to current employees, and read the company’s annual report. By having this inside information, you don’t need to quote anything or give any references as if you know more than you do; instead you will have a sense of how the company thinks and speaks, and you will sound like you are already an insider. Just as when meeting new people, those who talk like us or look like us make a favorable impression, so with interviews, if you are speaking their language, they will appreciate you as a potential good fit. Get a sense of what key words the company uses for its goals and progress, and try to use them when you answer interview questions.

Before you get to such important interviews, be sure, in the meantime, not to turn down any interviews of lesser importance. Being interviewed by a company you are certain you don’t want to work with is still a great opportunity to sharpen your interview questions, so that you are never throw off track or stutter or lose focus. Extra practice means greater skill, so when the important interview comes around, you’ll be ready.

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