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Many College students never give job interviews much thought until they realize it's time to seek out a paying gig. "In reality, students should start preparing the day they step on campus," says Shellie Hansen, M.S., Career coordinator for Oklahoma State University's College of Business Administration (Stillwater, OK). "Most students need excellent interview skills by the start of their sophomore year so that interviewing for internships and related experiences goes well."

Translation? To ace one of life's most intimidating conversations (yes -- the interview), you need to start preparing early in your freshman year for the specific questions almost every interviewer will ask.

Sure, potential employers always have some unexpected questions up their sleeves, but how you respond to a core set of questions can make or break the hiring outcome. Pass the test, and you're offering up evidence of your knowledge, experience, creativity, and commitment to a strong work ethic. And don't think you can somehow bluff your way past your resume's weak points -- it's not that simple.

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Keep Interviews on the Brain
First lesson: Do your best in high school, college, and after-school activities to build up a resume worth bragging about. (Just don't be too much of a braggart!) The employers Hansen speaks with, for instance, claim that leadership is very important. "They're looking for a complete package -- a student who has a good GPA, work-related experience, participation, and leadership in student activities. All these qualities combined help ensure that the student transitions to the workforce more successfully."

In other words, you'll need to show off your leadership skills through a well-thought-out and verifiable progression of leadership activities throughout your school years, be it in student government or at a summer internship.

Next, take a proactive approach in all you do. If you have to write a paper for an economics class, enhance your employability by doing it on a subject related to the industry to which you aspire. Or, if you seek a marketing position, a consumer goods company would be impressed by your articulate insights regarding a market-oriented economics topic like Eastern Europe's emerging middle class.

Heavy stuff, but your wallet will thank you someday.

Preparing for the Big Day
To get in interview gear, start practicing for the two questions you must be able to ace:

1. Why are you interested in working for our organization?
Whether it's for your local newspaper or a big finance firm, if you do your homework on a company's markets, corporate philosophy, and products/services, you'll get the interview off to a great start.

To make the best impression, you need to be up to speed on a company's history, its future challenges, key emerging markets, and management style. Check out annual reports and news on the Web, keep up on industry articles, and set up informational interviews with its employees. And, if you can get the inside scoop on the particular position you're going for, you'll have an even better chance of impressing the interviewer.

2. Tell me about a failure you've experienced in your life.
Everybody makes mistakes; how you respond to them is a clue to your potential as an effective team player. A willingness to take responsibility demonstrates a mature personality. Whining about how someone let your class project team down by missing her Deadline, however, only tells recruiters that you lack basic leadership skills.

A more professional response would be discussing what you learned from the error so that it never happens again. Competent employees make mistakes, but never the same ones twice.

There are no all-purpose responses to interview questions, simply because every job is different. Whereas you should play up your creative edge for a prospective employer such as MTV, a recruiter seeking a laboratory assistant would be more interested in an applicant whose strengths are scientific knowledge and attention to detail. So what's the secret to securing your dream job? Practice providing thoughtful and well-researched answers, but adapt them to each situation.

What Interview Test Will You Have to Take?
Job interviews are your best opportunity to "sell yourself" to potential employers. Preparing for the three most common interview styles used by recruiters is not unlike knowing how to ace all types of exams -- be prepared, and you won't be caught off guard. Grab a pal, parent, or career center counselor, and act out a few mock job interviews.

Directive: The "Short-Answer" Test Interview
The most common interview style has the recruiter gathering information and directing the course of the structured interview. You are expected to do most of the talking. A directive interview question could be "Give me concrete examples of your people skills." Try not to clam up!

Stress: The "Pop Quiz" Interview
As if interviews aren't stressful enough, an interviewer's confrontational style may compound an already pressurized meeting. Recognize the tactic for what it is by staying calm and maintaining your composure. Typical stressor questions can range from "Why should we hire you?" to the more situational "What would you do to calm an angry customer whose order is lost?"

Non-Directive: The "Free Essay" Interview
The flow of information is controlled by you to the point of the interviewer refraining from providing any direction or asking few questions. Non-directive interviews appear very casual, but they are still interviews where you manage the information flow.

Your task is making sure the interviewer clearly recognizes your outstanding qualities and your interest in the organization.

Saying something like "My internships and academic credentials are a great fit for your company's bio-tech program" is an excellent beginning. You would then volunteer concrete examples to make your point, pausing long enough to allow interviewer comments.

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