So you think you are ready for the big job interview? Maybe you are reading this having already completed a couple of interviews. How did they go? Were they successful? Did you struggle with confidence? Were you certain of your answers?

As I was preparing for job interviews, I was given some important advice: know yourself. Before you start thinking that is ridiculous advise, read through some of the following questions.

• What are my strengths?
• What is my greatest strength?
• What are my weaknesses?
• What are some of your personal goals? What about professional goals?
• What feedback have you received that you disagreed with?
• What would others say are your strengths?
• What would others say are your weaknesses?

The above are just a few of the questions that I have been working through as I prepare for a successful job interview. It is critical that if you want to succeed in presenting yourself as the best candidate for the job, that you know yourself and know yourself well. The majority of people don't really have a good grasp on who they are. Don't be discouraged by that statement, it just means you need to spend a little bit of time studying yourself and what others think of you. The more you know, the better the interview process and the greater the confidence you will exude during the interview.

Study

Think back on past experiences and situations in your life. Recall the details of the scenario. What actions did you take? What actions did you fail to take? What did your attitude look like? How did others respond to you and treat you? What would you have changed if you could go back and do it all again? This is part of studying yourself. Taking the time to look back on the past will help you to answer some of the above questions. It will help you to see your strengths and weaknesses. It will let you understand what others perceive about you.

Be Honest

The most important thing you can do during the process is to be honest. You are studying yourself, there isn't anyone to fool. It is important that you take an honest look at yourself in order to come to an accurate conclusion about yourself. It is good to be a little embarrassed or distraught about something you see. That will aid in making the changes that need to be made. You must also remember that you must not only be honest in studying yourself, but also in the interview. You must not pretend to be someone that you aren't.

Get Feedback

An aspect of knowing yourself is knowing what others perceive about you. The most important feedback is that of your family, especially your spouse. It would also be beneficial to speak with your former (or current) employer and co-workers. Be sure to encourage them to be honest and make sure you are ready to respond in humility to anything they may tell you. It may not always be pretty, yet if they aren't being honest it won't help you.

The most important principle for preparing for a job interview is to know yourself. Study yourself and your past to understand your strengths and weaknesses. Be honest with yourself. Then, get feedback. You want to know how others perceive you. Finally, write it all down and study it. Don't go into an interview cold!