Most Americans find interviews challenging. If you haven’t interviewed in a while or you haven’t done many interviews, this challenge only becomes harder. One thing that can help you find success in your upcoming interviews is to develop the right amount of confidence in yourself, in what you have to offer, and in being the best candidate. How can you develop this confidence before interviews? Here are five steps anyone can take. 1. Research Common Questions One of the biggest worries for many interviewees is knowing how to answer the interviewer’s questions. The good news for today’s workers is that you can find lists of common interview questions online and through staffing agency personnel. Write down some of these questions and make a plan to answer them. Avoid making complete scripts, though, and instead write down and review main ideas or bullet points. 2. Have Practice Sessions Recruit a family member or friend to help you with some role-playing. This may at first seem uncomfortable or unnecessary, but you’ll get a lot out of having to verbalize your thoughts out loud. Give your mock interviewer a list of common interview questions and have them pick and choose from these — and add some of their own follow-up questions. If possible, do more than one mock interview with different interviewers, or even with more than one interviewer. The more you go over your own thoughts in advance, the more confident you’ll feel during the actual interview. 3. Learn About the Company Can you research the company you’re going to interview with? If you haven’t done so already, look for information about them online, through the staffing service, or through your network of contacts. Learn what they do or make, what the company culture is like, what their mottos are, how large

Finding a new job can be daunting and overwhelming in the increasingly competitive labor market. However, preparing adequately for a job search can make the process less challenging and strenuous. Whether you are hunting for a new job, looking for a side hustle, or changing your career to get a better fit, these six tips will make the job search more effortless and fun.

Unemployment can be stressful and uncertain. If you have bills to pay and people to provide for, you’ll need to get back into the workforce as soon as possible so life can get back to normal. On your search for new employment, remember these tips to find a job that will not only pay your bills but give you work in which you can take pride. 1. Know What You Want You won’t find a better time than your period of unemployment to evaluate what you know how to do, what you enjoy doing, and what you’re capable of pursuing in the future. Being jobless allows you to reset and determine the kind of job you want to do for the foreseeable future. You will find it much easier to narrow down where to apply and what companies to work for if you have a grasp of the kind of job you want. 2. Research and Specify Once you know the kind of work you’d like to do, find the companies that want to hire in that area. If your resume and interview seem tailor-made for the spot they need to fill, you’ll make a good impression on the recruiters and people in charge of hiring. Your task is to make sure that’s what they see. Look into the company before you send in your application, and reword your resume as necessary to present yourself as the perfect fit. If you make it to the interview stage, you’ll need to do more research before you go in. The more you know about the company and the position you want to take, the more you’ll show your interviewer that you’re ready and able to fill it. Prepare yourself for the questions they may ask, and have a few of your own