If you are looking to land yourself that dream job then consider applying these interview tips that we have taken time to compile and ensure your success for that next interview.
Having a great interview depends on the amount of time that you have dedicated to actually prepare for it, from researching the company, preparing your answer and even down to your outfit.
Also know that the impression you make on the interviewer often can outweigh your actual credentials. Your poise, attitude, basic social skills, and ability to communicate are evaluated along with your experience and education. in this article we are going to give you basic interview tips that when applied will help you stand out.
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Take Time to Prepare
Always start your preparation on time, don’t wait until the last minute to start your preparation. Once you are scheduled for an interview start your preparing immediately, this will help you to cover all the areas that will be involved in your interview,
Sometimes waiting for the last minute to prepare can get you disorganised and you will end up not being able to put yourself together, and this may affect your interview performance.
Do a Proper Research on The Company
You will start your interview with ease if you are aware of the important facts regarding the organization you are interviewing with. This will help you to know and structure how to align your skills and expertise to the company’s objective and also helps you to be company focused.
You may gain a thorough grasp of the company’s objectives and how your experience makes you a fantastic fit by reading the company’s website, social media posts, and recent press releases.
Prepare Questions in Advance For the Interviewers
You may want to also ask some few questions after your interviewer is done, this is also a good practice but do well to prepare these questions ahead of time.
Don’t start looking for questions to ask on your interview day, make sure you have already made a list of the few questions you want to get answers to and they should be reasonable, also ask them appropriately to avoid any misunderstanding.
Practice Your Response to Common Interview Questions
There are common questions that interviewers will always ask, like tell me about your self ? Why should we hire you? Why are you interested in this role? Questions like this always comes up in your interview and you have to prepare a good and convincing answers for them.
Take time to find the best answers to these questions and keep practicing those responses until you become familiar with them but not to say you should cram the answers, but just practising them will help you not to forget.
Prepare and Go With Extra Copies of Your CV
You should go to your interview with several copies of your CV and other valuable documents that might be needed and arrange them in a proper and organized manner.
You can also bring a pen and a small note book, so you can be able to jot down relevant informations that you might be needing later for your follow up note.
Learn Something About The Interviewer
Ask if you aren’t told who you will meet with during the interview. Learn the responsibilities of each interviewer in the organization and prepare some questions tailored to each of them.
You can enquire about their responsibilities, talk about recent developments in their industry, or bring up a hobby they share outside of work (just stick to one mentioned in an easily accessible spot, like their company bio or LinkedIn profile).
Arrive Early
It is also important that you arrive early for your interview. Plan your journey to the interview site in advance to ensure a timely arrival. Plan a fallback route if you’re using public transportation in case of delays or closures.
Arriving early for you interview, also means that you can take some time to observe the work environment and dynamics.
Make A Good First Impression
First impressions matters most times, making a good first impression can be a good reason for the hiring manager to remember you, even after you are done with your interview.
Make sure your nails are neat and clean, shine your shoes, and check your clothing for holes, stains, pet hair, and loose threads.
Pay Close Attention to The Questions
Try to stay focused on your interview and pay close attentions to the questions asked. You may have planned a smart answer to give for a particular question but if you do not listen carefully to understand the question you might end up giving the interviewer a different from what was asked.
Keep Your Responses Short and Concise
Because you only have a short amount of time with each interviewer, avoid rambling. Try as much as you can to go straight to the point and just give answer to only the question asked.
Try to make the most out of the short time you have and you can only achieve this when you give concise and short response without leaving out any important detail.
Use The Star Method to Present Your Answers
The Star method helps you to answer questions that you might want to use story, make sure the story is well-structured and has a clear takeaway whenever you use it to respond to interview questions.
The aim should be to answer the question succinctly and clearly while yet providing your interviewer with all the background information they require to comprehend what transpired. the star method refers to
- Situation: Briefly lay out the scenario using just enough detail that the interviewer will understand the stakes and everything else in your answer.
- Task: Talk about what your role in the situation was.
- Action: Discuss what you did and why.
- Result: Tell your interviewer about the outcome and what you learned.
Stay Positive
Don’t begin to sound negative to your employer whether its regarding your previous job,boss or colleagues. Doing that will only make you look like a complainer to the interviewer and they might also consider that you can speak such about them if they end up hiring you.
If you are asked any questions that partakes to your former job or employer always stay positive.
Take Every Question As an Opportunity To Sell Yourself
Hiring managers are looking for the best fit for the position and so with every answer you are giving make sure is a good pitch to sell yourself. Give the interviewer answers that are unique and best describes you, you are to make the hiring manager know that you posses whatever it is that they are looking for in that position and you will be of great value to them.
But in doing that always try to stay truthful, if there is any of these potentials you lack let them know you can easily develop it just as fast as possible. Make sure to always answer all of these in clear terms and make your points clear.
Present The Right Body Language
Start using a friendly, approachable body language as soon as you enter the building. Take a deep breath before the interview and let it out slowly to help you manage your nervousness and boost your confidence.
Smile and maintain eye contact at all times, don’t act as though you were forced to the interview or you don’t have what it takes to get the job.
Send a Follow Up Thank You Note
Follow up with a thank you note for every interview, depending on the interviewees’ preferences, type each message on paper and mail it or send it via email.
Make your notes unique by mentioning the specifics of what you and the interviewer spoke about. This can be a good way to get on the interviewers good side and also it shows that you are grateful for the opportunity you were given to interview for the role.
Also Read Best Way to Answer Tell Me About Yourself Interview Question
Now It’s Your Turn
Which of these interview tip did you find interesting and hope you will be ready to apply it on your next interview.
Kindly let us know with a comment below.