So you have a job interview to attend in a few days time and the problem is that your previous interviews haven’t panned out the way you thought they would have. It all means that you are missing something which is the reason for you not being able to make it to the final selection round. Well this is something that many job candidates face everyday while searching for a new job.

Most of the times its just good job interview preparations that candidates are lacking and though it may seem a little inconsequential when you compare your outstanding education or work experience or for that matter skills which could be quite suitable for the job you are applying. But the employer is not looking for just these things they also want a person who can be an all-rounder, one who can score top points in all interview rounds and be their best choice for that position. What you need to do is to prepare for each interview as if that would be the last job opportunity you are left with and prove that there is no better deserving candidate other than you.

Ok so you have practiced and rehearsed well, the questions you probably would practice with are like: Why do you want this job? Where do you see yourself in five years? And you think those questions are good enough. Sorry, you're not prepared and those questions are now not a part of any interview. This sea change in the types of questions that are today posed to interviewees is because Microsoft changed the rules of the game. During recent months Microsoft has made headlines for using an unconventional approach to interviewing. One of the questions it posed to a candidate - How many gas stations are there in the United States?

This and more such questions means you just have to expect the unexpected when it comes to interviews. Here is another example of a question that you are more likely to encounter at an interview these days: Let’s assume that you are called for an interview at Goldman Sachs. The problem - you’ll have some 8 balls, of which 1 is a little heavier compared to the rest. You shall be given a 2 armed scale and allowed to use it just 2 times. The challenge: identify the heavier ball. It’s very obvious that employers are looking for candidates that fit the job in just about every way.

If you have loads of experience or you specialize in a particular field but cannot perform other tasks then you are not good. If you have all the experience, skills, motivation, decisive career goals but cannot prove it in the interview then that’s a waste. Preparing for the interview is a must because what matters is how well you can do in the interview.

The author of this blog has an interview tips website at http://www.learninterviewtips.com. You will find tips related to all kinds of interviews ranging from behavioral interviews, screening interview, meal time interview and job interview.