The job interview is incredibly intimidating. There’s a job you really want, or need, and getting the job or not will affect your career, your financial future, your emotional well-being…

You dress up in your best clothes (please… dress up in your best clothes), practice all of the potential questions you may be asked, so on and so on.

And there’s an interviewer looking to find all of the worst parts about you: your inexperience, your poor work habits, the brother-in-law in jail (well, no, I’m making that up) - anything they can find so that they won’t hire you. This evil nasty person is standing in your way.

Actually, most interviewers aren’t looking for excuses not to hire you - if you made it to the interview, they’re looking for reasons to hire you. They aren’t going to waste their time in an interview if you don’t have something they’re looking for.

So, what are interviewers looking for? Here are a few things:

• Your personality. Having an employee fit into the organization is very important. Each company has it’s own in-office personality, and they want to see how you would fit that personality. Since you can’t know this before, just be yourself. You can also pick up clues to this office vibe by watching and listening to the interviewers.
• Your experience. Each job has its own requirements, and you can say only so much on your resume. The interviewer needs a more complete picture of your experience, and this is a big aspect of the interview.
• Your own needs. Salary and work type are a part of this, but good companies that care about their employees (there are more of these than you think) also need to know if the work will fit your life. For example, if the hours are incompatible (often not your fault), the job might not be a good match.

For both the employer and the potential employee, a job interview is like a blind date; you getting to know each other. Go in with a positive attitude, and show them what you can do!