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 Boost Your Interview I.Q.
-by Carole Martin
McGraw-Hill Companies, 165 pages, $9.56

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If you buy just one book on interviewing this year, it should be Boost Your Interview I.Q. Author Carole Martin isn’t content to dispense advice on interviewing do’s and don’ts. The bulk of this hands-on guide features a detailed test consisting of the 50 most asked interview questions. By studying the questions and taking the test, career seekers will be able to recognize different interview techniques and get a leg up on their competition.

Boost Your Interview I.Q. declares that the job often goes to the candidate who best sells himself or herself and makes the most favorable impression during the interview process. This would be distressing news to many readers if the book didn’t offer a practical way to break through this system and show you’re the best person for the job.

Some of the hardest interview questions to answer are ones that ask for specific details. When an interviewer says “Tell me about a time when…” they are looking for a specific example to see how you work. According to Martin, “When you understand how to give an example of past behavior with an interesting story, you will be able to prove to the interviewer that you have the relevant experience.”

The Interview I.Q. Test gets to the nuts and bolts of the process. It features 50 questions ranging from “When have you been the most motivated?” to “Tell me about a time when you had to handle a stressful situation.” Readers are asked to carefully study three answers given, then select the strongest one. Boost Your Interview I.Q. goes the extra mile by comparing answers and explaining exactly why one choice is better than others. Taking time to study the specific questions and best answers, you will see patterns emerge and learn to recognize what employers are looking for.

This in-depth question and answer format encourages career seekers to spend time composing focused stories relating to their past experiences. Of course, this makes you more prepared and confident when you interview. Section 2 of the book explores further ways to boost your Interview I.Q. score by giving concrete evidence of the way you work and the value of your skills. The process of composing a story is distilled into stating the problem, illustrating what you did about the problem, then telling how things turned out.

Showcasing your skills and shining during an interview can be challenging. When you take the time to craft your own responses to the 50 key questions here, you’ll gain self-knowledge that will translate into self-confidence. Serious career seekers will recognize that the effort they invest in mastering Boost Your Interview I.Q.’s techniques will pay off.