If you are a job seeker and you want to thrive in today’s competitive job market, then you must know that interviews are one of the important parts of that. You also need to understand a few of the important skills to excel in those interviews. Making a good impression and showcasing the best qualities that you have during an interview increases your chances of getting the job. If you start preparing for the interviews and if you follow certain steps forward, you will be able to impress the HR team.
In this post, we have prepared a list of the best interview tips that you could follow. These tips will help you to crack the toughest interviews very easily. We have got almost 13 tips on this particular list. So, sit down, take some notes, and start preparing to nail your interview.
What is a Job Interview?
According to one of the top UK Job search Portal, when a company needs to hire someone, they look for the right fit. They do this by scheduling interviews. An interview is a talk between a hiring team and someone who wants the job. Its goal is to see if the person has the right skills and know-how for the role. The hiring team could be just one person, like a manager. Or it could be a group from the company.
There are different kinds of job interviews.
- Structured ones ask all candidates the same questions. This lets the hiring team rateand score people fairly.
- Semi structured interviews are more open-ended conversations. The hiring team goes with the flow, not strict scripts.
- Unstructured interviews allow flexibility. Questions adapt based on candidate’s answers. These interviews feel relaxed, informal. Interviews happen through different methods: phone, video call, in-person. They can involve one interviewer, a panel, or a group discussion.
Sometimes, interviews combine multiple formats. You can find more about the types of interview process from blogs of various job portals.
13 Steps to Nail your Next Interview
When you are preparing for a job, there are plenty of steps that you must follow. Let us look into a few of the tips.
Research the Company
The important thing that you must note is that before heading into any job interview it is absolutely crucial to research the company. For this, you can start from their websites. From their websites, you can learn many things about their mission, values, products or services, etc. You can also find their latest press release. Because of the advancement of technology and the developments of social media platforms, you will be able to get a sense of their company culture and you will also understand how they react and engage with their audience. If you browse through news articles or other industry publications to understand the company’s position in the market any recent development happened in their business. If you can mention them in the recent interview, then they will surely get the idea that you are interested in being a part of their business.
Also Read: How to Land Your Dream Marketing Job
Understand the Job Description
The important thing is that you can take time to carefully review the job description that is provided before attending any interview. There you should pay attention to the needed qualifications, responsibilities, and skills that the employer and the company are seeking. When you understand the job description that is provided to you, you will be able to understand whether you are the best fit for the given job position.
Practice Common Interview Questions
If you want to crack any interviews, then you should start practicing common interview questions to build your confidence. It will also help you to build your confidence and make sure you are prepared to articulate the qualifications you have effectively. You can practice some of the common interview questions like “Tell me about yourself”, and “What are your strengths and weaknesses” etc. You shouldn’t sound like you rehearsed all these points, practicing these responses will help you feel more comfortable during the actual interview.
Prepare Your Own Questions
One of the most important things that you need to focus on during an interview session is to ask questions. It is important to ask questions. This quality will showyour interest in working in that particular company and the job. During this step you need to ask more about the company’s culture, growth opportunities, and the projects you’d work on. During the process you should avoid questions so you can find answers with simple research. You should always focus on the ones that show your interest in joining the team.
Dress Appropriately
Dressing appropriate for the interview is the most important thing which most people forget. Taking this seriously for an interview to show respect and seriousness. Here what you have to do is, you need to research the dress code and aim to dress nicer than usual. You need to wear the dress clean. In order to become more confident, you need to wear a morefit dress.
Arrive Early
Punctuality is one of the most important things. You should always be on time for the interview process. The main thing that you should note is that you should arrive at the place 10-15 minutes early to allow for a delay. This will show that you are reliable, and you show respect for the interviewer’s time. This will also give you plenty of time to prepare yourself for the process.
Body Language Matters
Body language is one of the most important things the interviewer’s notice during the interview process. If you want to crack the interview process, then you must focus on this a bit more. You should maintain good posture and eye contact. You should also avoid fidgeting. This will portray you as a confident person. That way the interviewees will be more engaged.
Practice Active Listening
One of the best qualities of a good candidate is their ability to listen. Not just listening but real listening. Active listening is very crucial. This will include making eye contact, nodding, and asking questions when it is needed. You should be careful about interrupting and should also make sure you are able to fully understand the questions before answering.
Showcase Your Skills with Examples
An important thing that will help you is talking about your qualifications. Here you should also use more examples. You should mention your qualities like, instead of just saying you are a “team player” you should mention how you demonstrated these qualities. You should give examples of this. You should also be ready to discuss the outcomes of your actions. Here you should mention how these actions positively impacted on the team. When you use real-life examples, this will make your responses more compelling than ever.
Be Honest and Authentic
Being real and truthful is an important aspect of the job interview process. If you try to exaggerate your skills, it would be spotted quickly. You should always focus on highlighting the strengths and weaknesses. You should also be honest about the areas that you are weak and need improvement.
Stay Calm and Confident
We all know that job interviews are sometimes stressful. The important thing that you need to have in your mind is that being calm and confident. You must use some relaxation techniques in order to calm yourself during this interview process. You can use those relaxation techniques like deep breathing. You also have to pay attention to your postures. Speaking clearly during the interview process is another thing.
Follow Up After the Interview
Doing a follow-up after the interview is another important thing. This will surely show your interest and curiosity in the job position and the company that you are joining. Sending a thank-you message after the interview process is also another thing. This will surely showcase your appreciation. You have to send it within 24 hours. There you should refer to specific parts of the interview process. Don’t forget to thank them for their time and try to express your interest in the role.
Learn from Each Experience
You may know that every interview is a chance to learn. You should always think about what went well in the interview process. How the interview process helped you and all. You should also think about how you can do better in those interviews. After the interview process you should ask feedback from the interviewer. This feedback will help you do better.
