Preparing for a job interview is crucial if you seriously want to land a job. It will help you secure a job offer and make an excellent impression on your potential employer. Here are ten tips to nail your job interview.
1. Review the job posting
Reviewing the company’s job posting will help you a lot in your job interview. You can prepare persuasive interview answers by just deciphering the job advertisement. You can start by listing the important qualifications and requirements for the job position. Then, relate those with your skills, experience, and accomplishments and emphasize those during your interview.
2. Research the company
Employers want to determine if a candidate is a good fit for the position and the company as well. You will benefit from doing a background review because this is your chance to learn about what the company does and picture yourself if you see yourself working for that company for several years. Learn about the company’s:
- Products and services
- Clients
- Mission and vision
- Company culture
- Key players within an organization
- Latest news about their company (if available)
3. Practice answering the common interview questions
Taking the time to rehearse answering the usual interview questions will make you become calmer and appear more confident on the actual job interview. There are different ways on how you can practice interviews on your own or with the help of someone. You can use flashcards, use your phone, or webcam to record yourself answering interview questions; or practice with your friend or a family member who can give you feedback after. Some of the common questions you should prepare for are:
- Tell me a little about yourself.
- What are your biggest strengths weaknesses?
- Where do you see yourself in five years?
- Why should we hire you?
- Why do you want this job?
4. Review your resume
You are probably thinking why you should study your resume before your interview. After all, it’s your own resume, and you created it, so why should you review your resume? This is because the interviewer might ask you to elaborate about your work experience or skill set written in your resume. Therefore, you need to know how to translate your resume into a conversation.
5. Master positive body language for a job interview
Most people or job applicants are not aware that body language has an impact during job interviews. Body language is a nonverbal cue we use to communicate from facial expression, mouth expression, eye contact, hand gesture, body posture, down to the tone of your voice. It reveals the character of a candidate if he or she is feeling nervous, confident, insecure, bored, or uninterested. Here are some body language tips that you can use for your job interview.
- Sit firmly and lean your back straight in your seat.
- Maintain eye contact.
- Nod your head while listening.
- Use hand gestures while you are speaking.
- Show open palms.
- Keep your feet firmly on the ground.
Learn the fundamentals of body language if you want to succeed in your job interview.
6. Ask your interviewer questions
The interviewer usually asks applicants if they have any questions at the end of the interview process. Asking smart questions to your potential employer will demonstrate that you are interested in the job position and will put you ahead of other candidates. Also, asking questions will help you evaluate if the company and the job position is a good match for you. You can ask the interviewer questions like:
- Describe the culture of the company.
- What is the typical career path for someone in this role?
- What are the next steps in the interview process?
7. Plan your interview outfit
Showing that you put effort into yourself for the interview by dressing appropriately and looking polished will help you gain confidence and help the interviewer see how you fit in their culture. The best thing that you can do to decide what outfit to wear for your interview is to find out the standard dress code of the company. You can ask someone you know in the company and do some stalking on the Internet to check their website and social media pages on what their employees usually wear in the company.
There are three common dress codes in a company:
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8. Arrive on time
Being on time for an interview demonstrates that you value the time of others and that you are diligent and dependable. Arriving at least 10 to 20 minutes before your interview is acceptable. You will have enough time to fill out any paperwork and compose yourself before your interview.
9. Use the STAR method to shine at job interviews
There are some interview questions where the interviewer would ask you to describe a situation when you faced a challenge and how you dealt or solved it. Using the STAR method allows you to give a concrete example and proof that you have the skills they are looking for.
The STAR method stands for Situation, Task, Action, and Result.
Situation: Describe the situation where you faced the challenges. Give enough details for the interviewer to understand.
Task: Your role or responsibility for the situation.
Action: Describe the steps and actions on how you completed the task.
Result: Explain the result or outcome of your actions.
10. Practice job interview etiquette
Demonstrating job interview etiquette is essential to ensure that you are making a good impression on the interviewer. Here are ten helpful job interview tips to keep in mind.
- Use proper titles when greeting and addressing the interviewer.
- Know the interviewer’s name.
- Turn off your cell phone or put it in a silent mode.
- Offer a firm handshake.
- Sit up straight and lean slightly forward.
- Have a smile on your face at all times during your interview.
- Write down important notes.
- Wait for your turn to talk.
- Show gratitude at the end of your interview.
- Send a thank-you email after the interview.
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