Do you want to ace your next interview and land the open position you’ve been looking for? Here are 20 best and amazing tips to help you get ready.
1. Do your homework on the industry and the company.
An interviewer may inquire as to how you see his company’s position in its industry, who its competitors are, what its competitive advantages are, and how the company should proceed. As a result, don’t try to research a dozen different industries in depth. Instead, narrow your job search to a few industries.
2. Be clear about your “selling points” and why you want the job.
Prepare for each interview by thinking of three to five key selling points, such as why you are the best candidate for the job. Prepare a demonstration of each selling point ( “I am an excellent communicator. For example, I persuaded a group of people to “(Imaginative+ paraphrase). Also, be prepared to explain the interviewer why you want the position, including what attracts you to it, what benefits it provides that you value, and what skills it requires. If an interviewer doesn’t believe you’re truly passionate about the work, he or she will not extend you an offer — no matter how qualified you are!
3. Anticipate the interviewer’s misgivings and worries.
There are usually more applicants for vacant opportunities than there are available vacancies. As a result, interviewers hunt for ways to exclude candidates. Put yourself in their place and consider why they would be hesitant to recruit you (“I don’t have this,” “I’m not that,” and so on). Then prepare your defence: “I understand you may believe I am not the greatest candidate for this post due of [their objection].” However, you should be aware of [cause for the interviewer’s lack of care].”
4. Get ready for the most typical interview questions.
A list of a hundred or more “common interview questions” may be found in every “how to interview” book. (If there are so many typical questions, you might be wondering how long those interviews are!) So, how do you get ready? Pick any list and consider which questions, given your age and standing, you’re most likely to face (about to graduate, looking for a summer internship). Then prepare your responses ahead of time so you don’t have to fumble for them during the interview.
5. Prepare a list of questions to ask the interviewer.
Bring some thoughtful questions for the interviewer that reflect your understanding of the organisation as well as your seriousness. When interviewers ask whether you have any questions, you should always have one or two prepared. If you answer, “No, not really,” he or she could assume you aren’t interested in the position or the firm. “If you could construct the ideal applicant for this position from the ground up, what would he or she be like?” is an excellent all-purpose question.
If you’re doing a series of interviews with the same employer, you may ask each individual some of your prepared questions (for example, “What do you think the best thing about working here?” and “What sort of person would you most want to see fill this position?”). Then, throughout each interview, try to think of one or two others.
6. Rehearse, rehearse, rehearse.
It’s one thing to have a mental response ready for a question like “Why should we hire you?” It’s a very different task to express it out loud in a confident and persuasive manner. No matter how clear your thoughts are in your head, the first time you try it, you’ll sound garbled and confused! Repeat ten times more, and you’ll sound much smoother and more articulate.
However, you should not practise while “on stage” with a recruiter; instead, practise before the interview. What is the greatest approach to practise? Get two friends together and perform “round robin” interviews: one person serves as the observer, while the “interviewee” receives comments from both the observer and the “interviewer.” Continue through four or five rounds, exchanging roles each time. Another (second-best) option is to tape record your response and then replay it to determine where you need to improve. Whatever you do, make speaking aloud a part of your practise. Rehearsing your response in your head isn’t going to cut it.
7. Complete the task within the first five minutes.
According to some research, interviewers make up their minds about applicants in the first five minutes of the interview, then spend the rest of the time hunting for evidence to back up their choice! So, what can you do with those five minutes until the gate closes? Come in with vigour and excitement, and thank the interviewer for his or her time. (Keep in mind that she could be visiting a number of other applicants that day, and she might be exhausted from the journey.) Bring that energy in!)
Also, begin with a good statement about the firm, such as, “I’ve been looking forward to this meeting [not “interview”] for quite some time.” “[ ] I think [the organisation] is doing fantastic work in [a certain sector or topic], and I’m definitely looking forward to contributing.”
8. Sit on the same side of the interviewer as the interviewer.
Job interviews are sometimes viewed as confrontational by many interviewers: Candidates will try to wheedle an offer from the interviewer, and the interviewer’s task will be to keep it. It’s your responsibility to turn this “tug of war” into a partnership in which you’re on the same team. You may say something straightforward like, “I’m excited to learn more about your firm and for you to learn more about me so that we can determine whether or not we’re a good fit. The worst thing that can happen, in my opinion, is to get hired into a position that isn’t right for you — then no one is pleased!”
9. Be forceful and take charge of your interview.
Some normally outspoken candidates become too meek during job interviews, maybe in an effort to be courteous. However, civility does not imply passivity. An interview is similar to any other discussion in that it is a dance in which you and your partner move together while simultaneously replying to each other. Don’t make the mistake of merely waiting for the interviewer to bring up the Nobel Prize. It is your obligation to ensure that he understands your major selling points.
10. Be prepared to answer inquiries that are unlawful or improper.
Questions regarding your ethnicity, age, gender, religion, marital status, and sexual orientation during an interview are improper and, in many cases, unlawful. You may, however, receive one or more of them. If that’s the case, you have a few alternatives. You can simply ask a question (“I’m not sure how that relates to my application”), or you can try to answer “the question behind the question”: “I’m not sure if I’ll decide to have children in the near future, but if you’re wondering if I’ll be leaving my job for an extended period of time, I can say that I’m very committed to my career and frankly can’t imagine giving it up.”
11. Clearly state your selling points.
Did it create a sound if a tree fell in the forest and no one was around to hear it? More importantly, did you receive a good grade if you communicated your selling points during a job interview and the interviewer didn’t grasp it? The answer to this question is unmistakable: No! So, instead of burying your selling points in long-winded anecdotes, let them stand out. Instead, explain the interviewer your selling point first, and then provide an example.
12. Keep a positive attitude.
Nobody loves a complainer, so avoid bringing up unpleasant experiences during the interview. Even if the interviewer directly asks, “What courses have you enjoyed the least?” or “What did you dislike about your prior work the least?” don’t respond to the question Or, to be more particular, don’t respond to it in the manner in which it was posed. Instead, offer something along the lines of, “Actually, there’s something I appreciate about every one of my classes. For example, despite the fact that [class] was really difficult for me, I appreciated the fact that [good aspect of the class] “or “I enjoyed [a prior job] a lot, but now I’m sure I truly want to [new job].”
13. Finish on a high note.
What did a salesman do wrong if he came to you and displayed his goods, then thanked you for your time and walked out the door? You weren’t asked to buy it! If you think you’d be a good fit for a job after an interview, ask for it! Tell the interviewer that you’d love the job – that you were thrilled about it before the interview and are even more excited now – and that you’re certain you’d like working there. If there are two equally strong prospects at the conclusion of the search – you and someone else – the interviewer will believe you are more likely to accept the offer and will be more willing to give you an offer.
Even better, utilise the information you gained from your MyPath career assessment to explain why you believe this is the right position for you: “I’ve done some rigorous professional self-evaluation and know that I’m most interested in [one or two of your most critical career interest topics], and it appears that this position would allow me to express those interests – tell me if I’m wrong. I also know that [two or three of your most significant motivators from your MyPath assessment] motivate me the most, and I have a feeling that if I do well in this role, I will receive those benefits.
Finally, I know that [two or three of your best talents from your MyPath assessment] are my strongest abilities, and I believe those are the skills you most require for this role.” You’ll be (a) asking for the job, (b) describing why you think it’s a good fit, (c) demonstrating your thinking and maturity, and (d) further disarming the tug-of-war dynamic that interviewers expect if you follow this recommendation. You’ll be making the most powerful “close” possible – and that’s priceless!
14. Take a copy of your CV with you to each interview.
When you go to each interview, bring a copy of your CV with you. If the interviewer has misplaced his or her copy, pulling out your spare copy and handing it over will save you a lot of time (and humiliation for the interviewer).
15. Don’t be concerned with sounding “canned.”
Some people worry that rehearsing their responses will make them appear “processed” (or too polished or glib) during the interview. Don’t be concerned. You’ll sound fluid and eloquent, not canned, if you’ve prepared carefully. If you aren’t sufficiently prepared, the stress of the scenario will overpower any “canned” quality.
16. Make the most of the inquiry “Tell me about yourself.”
This is a question that many interviewers ask at the start of the interview. So, what should you do? It’s OK if you tell a narrative about where you were born, what your parents do, how many siblings and sisters you have, or how many pets and cats you have. But would you like the interviewer to jot down your dog’s breed – or why the firm should hire you?
Consider saying something like this in response to this question: “So, obviously, I could tell you about a number of topics, and if there’s something specific you’re looking for, please let me know. But [your selling points] are the three things I believe are most essential for you to know about me. If you’d like, I can elaborate on those points.” “Sure, go ahead,” interviewers will invariably say. After that, you add, “In regards to the first point, [insert an example]. I also [example of another selling factor] while I worked at [business].” Etc. This technique allows you to concentrate on all of your major selling points during the first 10-15 minutes of the interview. The inquiry, “Tell me about yourself,” is a good chance. It’s not to be missed!
17. Use appropriate body language.
Make eye contact, shake hands firmly, maintain decent posture, talk clearly, and avoid wearing perfume or fragrance! Small rooms with poor air circulation are sometimes used as interview sites. You want the interviewer to focus on your qualifications, not faint out because you wore Chanel No. 5 and the applicant before you was showered with Brut, and the two have combined to generate a deadly gas that causes you to lose the job!
18. Be prepared to participate in “behavior-based” interviews
Asking candidates to explain experiences they’ve had that illustrate characteristics that the firm believes are relevant for a given position is one of the most prevalent interview methods nowadays. For example, you could be asked to discuss a moment when you made an unpopular decision, demonstrated tenacity, or made a judgement under time constraints and with minimal information.
The first step is to predict the types of actions that this recruiting manager will be searching for. Step 2 is to think of at least one time when you displayed each of the behaviours. The third step is to write a tale for each case. Many experts suggest that you use SAR (Situation-Action-Result) as a story model. The fourth and last step is to practise narrating the narrative. Also, check your resume with this style in mind before the interview; this will help you remember examples of actions you may not have foreseen in advance.
19. Write thank-you letters.
After each interview, send a thank-you message. Depending on the interviewees’ preferences, type each remark on paper or send them through email. Make your notes more personalised by mentioning what you and the interviewer spoke about; for example, “I was especially delighted about [or interested in, or pleased to hear] what you stated about…” If you’re thanking a personal contact for their assistance in your job hunt, or if the firm you’re interviewing with is headquartered in Europe, handwritten messages may be preferable. Notes should be provided within 48 hours following the interview, regardless of the method you use.
You should take time after each interview to jot down a few points about what the interviewer said in order to create a decent thank-you message. Also, make a list of what you might have done better in the interview and make changes before your next interview.
20. Do not surrender!
Don’t give up if you had a negative interview for a job that you honestly believe would be a good match for you (not simply something you desire strongly). To let the interviewer know you think you did a bad job of conveying why you think this position is a good match, write a letter, send an email, or phone him or her. Reiterate what you have to offer the firm and express an interest in contributing. The employer and you will determine whether or not this technique will result in a job offer. But one thing is certain: if you don’t try, you have no chance. We’ve seen this strategy succeed in the past, and we encourage you to give it another attempt.
You’ll be as prepared as any applicant an interviewer has ever seen if you follow the top 20 tactics. Check out our available positions to get started on your new career right away. Best of luck!
