One of the essential steps to getting a job is getting an interview with the company and knowing what to say during these interviews is very important. Personally, I have had a variety of interviews for different jobs, and after each one my overall skill in an interview has definitely improved.
However, before the interview begins, there are a few items that need to be created/procured: a detailed job resume, good personal stories or experiences, and a nice outfit. Having a good resume allows an employer to know your qualifications before the interview begins and helps to ask specific questions about past experiences. On the topic of experiences, being able to bring up specific stories about skills being acquired is a good way feel comfortable in an interview, and more easily/fully answer any questions. Lastly, a good formal outfit is required as it knows the employer know that you are professional and are ready to do business. If these items are all used during a job interview, it sets one up with a much greater chance of success.
Over the job interview experiences I’ve had, there are a couple different reasons why I haven’t gotten the job, and it comes down to reliability, validity, and utility. A common theme I’ve experienced is that companies are looking for all three of these qualities when hiring someone, or at least a baseline of each. One particular interview I had was working for a lumber company as a summer job. Since I previously had experience with wood products and power tools through a construction job, the interviewers said I had really good qualifications (or Utility), but they were looking for someone for the long term rather than just for a summer (reliability). This shows how even though I had good qualifications and experiences, as well as a valid experience with residential construction, since I did not have the ability to be very reliable for the company, I was not hired.