Finding a job is tough enough as it is without having to go through harrowing interviews. Here are 5 tips for your next job interview you need to keep in mind for nailing your interview so you can get through it stress-free.
1. Go prepared
First, you should find out everything you can about your potential place of employment ahead of time. Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and the company’s website and blog all provide you with information that will help you go to a job interview confident and prepared.
But this research isn’t about memorizing facts and figures only—it’s about getting information that you can use to your advantage. For example, by visiting the company Facebook page, you should get a feel for the culture and overall vibe of the place.
Take several copies of your resume along, a notepad and pen, and a list of questions you’d like to ask.Also know which of your “selling points” you need to emphasise. Prepare to go into every interview with three to five key selling points in mind, such as what makes you the best candidate for the position. Have an example of each selling point ready.
2. Practice, practice, practice
If you’ve ever gone on a job interview, you already have a fair idea of what you’ll be asked. Practice that resume walk-through, catering it specifically to the job you’re hoping to get. How has everything you’ve done in your career made you the perfect candidate for this role right now? What do you have to offer that makes you unique? Draw up a list with questions you’re most likely to encounter, given your age and status (about to graduate, looking for a summer internship). Then prepare your answers so you won’t have to fumble for them during the actual interview.
It’s one thing to come prepared with a mental answer to a question like, “Why should we hire you?” It’s another challenge entirely to say it out loud in a confident and convincing way. The first time you try it, you’ll sound garbled and confused, no matter how clear your thoughts are in your own mind! Do it another 10 times, and you’ll sound a lot smoother and more articulate.
The best way to rehearse? Get a friend who would sit in as the interviewer and practice questions and answers with this person.
3. Start well, end great
Some studies indicate that interviewers make up their minds about candidates in the first five minutes of the interview – and then spend the rest of the interview looking for things to confirm that decision! So what can you do in those five minutes to get through the gate? Come in with energy and enthusiasm, and express your appreciation for the interviewer’s time. Also, start off with a positive comment about the company – something like, “I’ve really been looking forward to this meeting [not “interview”]. I think [the company] is doing great work in [a particular field or project], and I’m really excited by the prospect of being able to contribute.”
Also, end on a high note. If a salesman came to you and demonstrated his product, then thanked you for your time and walked out the door, what did he do wrong? He didn’t ask you to buy it! If you get to the end of an interview and think you’d really like that job, ask for it! Tell the interviewer that you’d really, really like the job – that you were excited about it before the interview and are even more excited now, and that you’re convinced you’d like to work there. If there are two equally good candidates at the end of the search – you and someone else – the interviewer will think you’re more likely to accept the offer, and thus may be more inclined to make an offer to you.
4. Watch that body language
Another one of the tips for your next job interview is to be assertive without looking arrogant. Sit all the way back in your chair at the start and lean in as the conversation gets interesting. Nod your head while listening; gesture instead of hiding your hands; and keep both feet planted on the ground. If you have a phone interview, project confidence by standing during the call.
Dress appropriately, make eye contact, give a firm handshake, have good posture, speak clearly, and don’t wear perfume or cologne! Sometimes interview locations are small rooms that may lack good air circulation. You want the interviewer paying attention to your job qualifications — not gasping for air!
5. Be confident and participate actively
Perhaps out of the effort to be polite, some usually assertive candidates become overly passive during job interviews. But politeness doesn’t equal passivity. An interview is like any other conversation – it’s a dance in which you and a partner move together, both responding to the other. Don’t make the mistake of just sitting there waiting for the interviewer to ask you about that Nobel Prize you won. It’s your responsibility to make sure he walks away knowing your key selling points.
Don’t necessarily wait until the end of the interview to ask your own questions, but use that time too if given the opportunity. Have your questions ready and make sure they’re specific to the role. Ask your interviewer what he or she enjoys most about the company, how your performance will be measured, or what the company or department goals are in the next six months. Stay away from questions about benefits or salary until you get an offer and never, ever ask, “How’d I do?”
The Founders of Burkley Global have conducted hundreds of job interviews during their careers, and have become very experienced with good and bad interviews. They are therefore well-equipped to give you tips for your next job interview. Click here to register for our “Prepare for a English job interview” programme.
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