13 Top Books to Ace Your Next Job Interview [& Land the Job]

13 Must-Read Interview Books in 2024

#1. Job Interview Masterclass

If you want a book that breaks down job interviews into their most basic parts and gives you a window into a hiring manager’s mind, look no further.

“Job Interview Masterclass” by Novorésumé has you covered!

Job Interview Masterclass is split into four main chapters:

1. The first one goes over topics such as how to research a company, what to do before your interview day, and how to dress to impress during the job interview itself.
2. The second chapter digs deeper and shows you the most important interview questions and everything you need to know to answer them effectively.
3. Chapter three focuses on behavioral interview questions and Novoresume experts’ advice on how to ace them.
4. In chapter four, the guide goes beyond the job interview itself and coaches you on what to do once you get the job or how to handle rejection gracefully.

Whether you’re a seasoned or an entry-level professional, “Job Interview Masterclass” is the perfect read if you want to learn how to excel in job interviews or simply brush up on your skills.

#2. Job Search Masterclass

You can find everything you need to know to nail a job application in Novorésumé's “Job Search Masterclass”. The book details the entire journey, from creating a flawless resume to adding an effective cover letter and wowing any job interviewer.

“Job Search Masterclass” is an invaluable companion to your job search, whether you’re a senior professional calculating your career’s next steps or a recent graduate making the first move towards your career journey. 

Job Search Masterclass is divided into the following chapters:

1. How to write a resume. All the information about creating a resume is detailed here, including picking the right format, choosing the best resume layout, adding your contact information, creating a great resume summary, listing your work experience right, highlighting your skills, and so much more.
2. How to write a cover letter. A must-have companion piece to your resume is an equally eye-catching cover letter. From addressing the hiring manager to using an effective call to action, this section of the book will show you how to match your resume with a cover letter to match.
3. How to nail an interview. For most candidates, interviews are the bane of the entire application process. So, this chapter teaches you all about how to prepare for interviews. You’ll see the most common interview questions and the best answers to them as well as tried and tested interview tips to help you ace your next interview.
4. All about remote work. As an increasingly large part of the job market, remote work is the talk of the town. This chapter will show you how to find remote job offers, which roles are most remote-friendly, and teach you how to ace a remote work interview.
5. Hack your job search. The book finishes with a special bonus chapter with some life-saving job-hunt hacks that you wish you’d known sooner.

#3. Basic Interviewing Skills

Raymond L. Gordon’s titular interview book sets itself apart from others in the genre since it’s aimed at recruiters, not candidates. That said, it still provides insight into the minds of interviewers which all candidates can benefit from.

“Basic Interviewing Skills” is a practical guide that aims to equip you with the skills and techniques necessary to conduct interviews and provide you with an in-depth understanding of the interviewing process. 

After reading it, you’ll understand how important communication skills, active listening, and empathy are in helping you establish rapport and elicit information more easily. An especially useful part is the explained art of phrasing questions and how interviewers encourage a natural flow of conversation to obtain candid responses.

The book covers all the most important subjects any job-seeker wants to know, including how an interviewer sees you, how they choose resumes, why they ask certain common questions, and what they want to hear you say. 

The practical approach and focus on basic techniques make it useful to readers at any career stage and industry.

#4. Smart Answers to Tricky Interview Questions

Rob Yeung’s guide to interviews comes with practical advice and a strong focus on handling any questions an interviewer can throw your way. 

“Smart Answers to Tricky Interview Questions: How to Prepare for a Job-Winning Interview” offers useful strategies you can apply and helps you craft the most effective responses to a hiring manager’s concerns. Yeung emphasizes the importance of understanding the role you’re applying for and tailoring your responses to the company’s culture and values.

This interview book gives insight into the hiring manager’s perspective, prepares you for challenging questions, and puts forth real-life examples from interviews to show you what works best and what interview mistakes to avoid. 

“Smart Answers to Tricky Interview Questions” explains tricky questions and equips you to handle them gracefully.

#5. Interview Like A Boss

“Interview Like A Boss: The Most Talked About Book In Corporate America” by Hans Van Nas is a well-researched and to-the-point book that dives into interviews and how to own them. 

The interview book covers the main aspects of the interviewing process, such as preparing ahead of time, personal presentation, including what to wear to an interview, and follow-up tips to solidify the impression you’ve made. The author gives a practical guide to researching your desired company, preparing for the most common interview questions, and the ones that might otherwise surprise you.

“Interview Like a Boss” shows you the big picture and offers a direct approach to tackling job interviews, without sparing the details. 

Do you have something you’re scared an interviewer will ask about, such as a former arrest? No worries, this interview book has got your back on that. We recommend you add it to your reading list to help boost your confidence before that upcoming interview.

#6. Aced

Are you incredibly anxious about flunking a job interview? Then this interview book is for you. 

“Aced” by Gerald Ratigan shines through as an introvert’s lifeline to making it through an interview as a winner. The book helps readers navigate the modern interview process and land that dream job. The author shares his own experiences, including his worst failures, and highlights what works and what doesn’t.

“Aced” gives you practical tips and focuses on interview preparation, as well as covering essential soft skills that will help you in the long run. As someone with decades of experience as both an interviewer and an interviewee, Ratigan explains the importance of personal branding and creating a lasting impression and how it can make or break your interview. Overall, “Aced” is an insightful read for any job-seeker.

#7. GET THAT JOB!

“Get That Job!: The Quick and Complete Guide to a Winning Interview” by the career coach Thea Kelley is more than just a motivating title. The book is designed as a roadmap for interview success, and the final destination is your dream job.

The book starts with the mindset of interviewers and the need for you to present a strong and consistent brand in front of them. The author emphasized the use of research and preparation, including coming equipped with persuasive answers to the most common questions you might expect. Kelley offers frameworks to help you analyze your past experiences and present them clearly in response to situational interview questions related to your problem-solving and decision-making abilities.

“Get That Job!” lists the presentation skills and preparation you need to wow an interviewer and leave a long-lasting impression. It includes a section on handling stress and anxiety before and during the interview, so you can keep your cool and ace it. Make sure to check out the post-interview tips, such as sending thank-you notes and following up with the employer. Finally, you can learn how to negotiate a job offer to secure the best terms and set yourself up for career growth. All in all, “Get That Job!” is a worthwhile read.

#8. How to Talk to Anyone

“How to Talk to Anyone: 92 Little Tricks for Big Success in Relationships” by Leil Lowndes is a useful guide to navigating all sorts of communication, and interviews especially. The book gives detailed advice on how to improve your communication skills and build meaningful relationships across different social contexts. It’s a great read for brushing up on your networking skills, too.

The essential aspects of interpersonal communication, such as body language, conversation starters, and active listening are some of the aspects that can help you ace your next interview. 

Some of the 92 easy-to-follow strategies Lowndes offers include showing genuine interest in the person you’re speaking to, offering compliments when appropriate, using humor to ease tension, and more. “How to Talk to Anyone” will leave you feeling more confident in your people skills and help set you up for success, both professional and personal.

#9. What Color Is Your Parachute?

Richard Nelson Bolles’ contribution to the career book genre is a great choice for job-seekers on the lookout for a fulfilling career path. “What Color Is Your Parachute?” prepares its reader with tips for every part of the job hunt and hiring process, including how to write a resume, interviews, and follow-up. This book will turn answering the question “Why do you want to work here?” into your favorite part of the interview.

The book starts by teaching you how to leverage your skills, values, and interests to find your ideal job. Through introspection and self-assessment, you learn what your strengths and weaknesses are and how to talk about them at a job interview. “What Color Is Your Parachute?” offers valuable networking tips, how to tap into a hidden job market, and the A to Z on how to prepare for an interview. By following the author’s advice, job-seekers can expect a lot more satisfaction in their professional lives.

#10. How To Win Friends & Influence People

Dale Carnegie’s classic published in 1936 still rings true. “How to Win Friends and Influence People” is beneficial across all walks of life because what it teaches are valuable interpersonal skills that help you achieve personal and professional goals more easily. Fostering positive relationships, practicing effective communication, and persuading others is part of the strategies the book offers.

Despite not being an interview book, Carnegie’s principles are timeless and find their use during interviews, too. Showing genuine interest in people, handling criticism constructively, and understanding the perspectives of others are all key to developing your social skills, and confidence and ultimately conveying your best self to your future employer.

#11. The Art of the Interview

James Storey’s “Interview: The Art of the Interview - The Perfect Answers to Every Question” comes through as a guide designed to help any job-seeker deliver outstanding answers to the most common interview questions. The book gives you insight into the interviewer’s mindset in order to understand them and address their questions and concerns most effectively.

The book includes practical tips for crafting well-rounded and persuasive answers to any type of interview question. Storey aims to arm you for any of the behavioral interview questions that candidates dread. “The Art of the Interview” details essential aspects of interviewing, such as non-verbal cues, communication skills, and anxiety-reduction strategies. Storey’s focus is on motivational interviewing, and as such the book will help you build up your confidence, present your best self and score the job position you’re after.

#12. 60 Seconds and You’re Hired

Robin Ryan’s 1994 book has been revised several times and offers job-seekers practical advice to secure their desired positions. “60 Seconds and You’re Hired” emphasizes the importance of concise answers and introduces the “60 Second Sell” strategy.

A successful interview is all about making a strong impression and making it fast, and that’s where “60 Seconds and You’re Hired” comes in. Several aspects of the interview process are discussed in detail, such as preparing for the most common questions and learning to negotiate for your salary. And don’t forget to ask the interviewer some of the questions Ryan’s book lists in order to secure the best offer you can get. 

#13. Gravitas

“Gravitas: Communicate with Confidence, Influence and Authority” by Caroline Goyder teaches you something that will make any interview child’s play. While not necessarily specific to interviews, the book teaches readers how to communicate effectively, exude confidence, and project authority in various professional and personal settings. As a voice and communication expert, the author uses her know-how to give you practical techniques, exercises, and relatable examples to help refine your communication skills.

The book follows the six so-called principles of gravitas: passion, knowledge, conviction, integrity, connection, and projections. When you understand and incorporate them into your communication style, you’ll be sure to make an impression whenever you speak. Conveying your meaning with clarity, persuading others, establishing yourself as a respectable figure, and honing your leadership skills are all connected to gravitas. And you can use all of these skills to impress the next hiring manager you meet with your silver tongue.

The book touches on some of the same bases as other interview books, such as the importance of body language and keeping your nerves in check when you have to speak. “Gravitas” is a great choice for anyone out to improve their communication skills and can be adapted to different contexts, such as speeches, presentations, and interviews.

7 Advantages of Reading Interview Books

By reading a book on a specialized subject, you stand to gain the valuable insight you might otherwise miss. 

As such, expanding your knowledge of job interviews can help you prepare well-rounded answers and face your interviewer more confident about your skills. 

These are some of the top benefits that come with reading interview books:

1. Preparation. By reading interview books, you enhance your job interview skills through the useful tips and techniques they provide, making you more confident.
2. Understanding the interviewer. Interview books offer insight into the interviewers’ mindset and allow you to anticipate certain questions, understand why they are asked, and address the interviewer’s concerns more effectively.
3. Self-awareness. Interview books encourage you to identify your own strengths, weaknesses, and goals, which allows you to convey them to an interviewer clearly.
4. Better communication skills. Studying common interview question and answer examples helps you articulate your thoughts and experiences more clearly.
5. Improved negotiation skills. Many interview books offer guidance on how to negotiate a job offer and secure the best terms for your employment.
6. Enhanced self-presentation skills. Interview books frequently mention body language and other non-verbal cues which helps you make a good impression both during the interview process and later on in your career.
7. Reduced anxiety. Becoming familiar with the interview process and preparing some answers beforehand saves you a lot of stress and anxiety during the interview.

FAQs About Interview Books

Do you still have some questions about interview books? Check out the answers to the most frequently asked questions below:

Conclusion

That concludes our list of awesome interview books to read in 2024!

A great interview book can enhance your communication skills, boost your confidence, and inspire you to keep going on your career journey. We hope you find the book you need to help you walk out of your next job interview with a smile and a great employment offer.

Check out our career blog for any other job-hunt resources you might need.