Job interviews can be a stressful process but they don’t need to be, especially if you have prepared well in advance. Below are some job interview tips you can follow. As with all things, preparation is the key. Take these interview tips with you and practice them with a friend or family member and remember, you can never prepare enough.
Be Prepared. Practice your responses to all the typical questions, such as “tell me about yourself” and “why are you looking for a new position?” How well you speak will have a bigger impact than what you say.
Don’t be late. There is no worse way to begin an interview!! Get there at least 10 minutes early.
First impression counts. You should dress suitably. Wear your best work outfit. The things to remember are cleanliness, simplicity and no strong or ‘loud’ colours. Do not chew gum or smoke and make sure you smell pleasant – deodorant people!
Be yourself. Speak clearly and enthusiastically about your experiences and skills. Be professional, but don’t be afraid to let your personality shine through, don’t be shy.
Listen carefully. There is nothing worse than to ask a question that the employer has already talked to you about. You will want to remember what you learn about the job, and you will want to answer the questions that were asked.
Address the job criteria. Nervous energy is good but not if you come to the job interview unprepared. It’s to your advantage to carefully research the job and the company. This can be done in many ways. You can request information personally, or go to the company’s website for material about job descriptions and company annual reports. Be sure to drop a few little hints in the interview so they know you made the extra effort.
Be positive. Don’t talk about your bad feelings or give any excuses about a negative experience. If you are asked why your grades are low or why you left another position, don’t give excuses, instead, focus on stating the positive facts and lessons learnt from your experiences. And if you can’t say anything nice, don’t say anything at all. if you left a position because you had personal differences with your manager, simply say that you wanted a change.
Be poised. Pay attention to non-verbal behavior. Look the interviewer in the eye, sit up straight with both feet on the floor. You should also control nervous habits such as fingernail biting and giggling. Don’t ramble on and bore the interview with stories about your kids or past employment which is irrelevant to the current role.
Practice makes perfect. This maxim could not be more true with job interviews. Make sure your answers are clear and succinct. You should practice answering with a friend or with your family members. When practicing avoid terms such as “like” and “you know” and don’t sound too rehearsed, as though you have memorised each answer.
Research the company. Find out as much as you can about the company through annual reports, Newspapers, Value Line,” S&P, etc. Your effort will show in the job interview, and you’ll be seen as proactive, hardworking and astute.
Exhibit enthusiasm. First impressions, positive or negative, dramatically affect the ultimate evaluation. You can make or break an job interview within the first five minutes. Smile and say hello to everyone. A positive reaction from the support staff is an important factor in the evaluation. Many hires have been heavily influenced by an Administrative assistant.
Be self-confident. High self-esteem and self-confidence are the hallmarks of the successful individual. With confidence, be able to demonstrate how you have overcome obstacles. There’s nothing wrong with feeling good about yourself.
Remain involved. The most effective job interviews are those where an active two-way conversation takes place. Not the typical question and answer type. Begin early in the interview to interject your own relevant insight. Remember, don’t interrupt your interviewer.
Establish your worth. Discuss your specific accomplishments that demonstrate a proactive attitude. Such as: have you installed systems, done something not required, trained someone, etc. It’s always important to demonstrate how you either created revenue or saved expenses, and be specific with the amounts and how you accomplished that goal.
Know your six key strengths. Be prepared to discuss in detail and with examples your five or six main attributes. These should be the ultimate reason you get the job over someone else. Assuming you have done the proper homework on the company, these strengths should also be closely aligned to the key traits the employer is looking for in a person to fill their position.
Give 1 to 2 minute responses. Communication is the key to successful interviewing. A minimum of one to two minutes of well-prepared discussion gives the interviewer insight into your intellect and supports your contentions.
Provide examples/details. Support statements about yourself with specific examples. These will provide legitimacy to your claims. Without them, the interviewer won’t accept them as valid.
Remain attentive. Stay alert during the job interview. Maintain good eye contact. Sit forward in your chair. Be animated. Show high levels of interest and stay enthused. These actions can maintain or generate momentum during the interview. This is especially important when you are doing multiple interviews on the same day. The energy level must be as high for the last as it is for the first.
Don’t be arrogant. A presumptuous, overbearing attitude will offset the finest abilities. There’s a fine line between being too confident and cocky. Don’t cross that line.
Ask probing questions. A few strategic questions can demonstrate your intelligence, analytical skills and assertiveness. Have these prepared from your research. Avoid superficial small talk.
Be positive about co-workers. Don’t bad mouth previous positions, companies or employers. No matter how well founded, this implies a negative attitude, typical of those who don’t take personal responsibility for their actions.
Clearly state your interest. By the conclusion of the interview, state that you are definitely interested in the position and would like to know when the next step will take place. It’s best to demonstrate this interest throughout the session. Be careful not to go overboard.
Know your objective and end with it. Establish your objective before the job interview, like a second interview or an offer. Ask for it if you have not achieved it. Ask a question such as, “do you think my skills match your needs?” This gets straight to the point and, at worse, reveals other obstacles to overcome.
