Job search expert Virginia Bola, PsyD, reports that
interviews are difficult because we never know what to
expect. Some employers go out of their way to make
applicants feel as comfortable as possible and ask low key
questions that seem easy to answer. Others believe in
magnifying the stress of an already pressure-laden
situation because they want to see how well interviewees
handle it. 

In either case, she advises applicants: try to detach
yourself from your nervousness and try to see if any kind
of pattern emerges. Do many of the questions concern
attendance and reliability? Emphasize your track record in
those areas. If the interviewer repeatedly asks about
teamwork and any prior conflicts with co-workers, this is
clearly a key element --sell yourself to it. If the primary
concern is multi-tasking, focus on your ability to do many
things at once -- work, family, volunteering, school, a
history of working two jobs -- and how you are able to
organize multiple demands to stay on top of many activities
at once.

Dr. Bola emphasizes that the key is to increase the
chances of a successful interview by catering to the needs
of the interviewer, not reciting a stale litany of overly-
rehearsed responses.