No matter how many job interviews you go on, it’s just one of those things that does not get easier. You are meeting new people, trying to sell yourself, your skill set and make good impressions. It seems like there is a hundred things going through your mind yet you need to remain upbeat and positive the whole time while trying to retain whatever information you already know about the position. However, it’s not all doom and gloom. There are a couple of simple things that we can do to give ourselves an upper hand while going through the interview process. Just a few things that will make life a bit easier for ourselves:
1. Prepare Prepare Prepare
Do not go into an interview blindly. Familiarise yourself with the common interview questions an employer may ask and practice your answers. Refer to real life examples that compliment your skills and correspond with your Curriculum Vitae. Your answers should highlight the skills that are important to the employer and the position that you are being interviewed for. There is no point in telling an employer that you have “great skills in accounting” when you are being interviewed for a position as a Chef.
2. Connect With the Interviewer
As well as trying to convey what you know about the company it’s also important to try and establish a connection with the interviewer. Something as simple as knowing the interviewers name and using it throughout the interview will help you build a rapport with the interviewer and will enable you to leave a lasting impression post interview. Generally people tend to hire people that they get on well with and fit in with the profile and culture of the organisation.
3. Do Your Homework
Express your interest in the company by showing them what you already know about the organisation. Be prepared for the question “So, tell us what you know about the company?” and if the interviewer does not ask that question it would be a good idea to demonstrate what you know about the industry on your own initiative. Use whatever resources are available to you. You can learn a valuable amount of knowledge about an organisation from its web-page. Use social media, it’s 2019 the chances are the company will have an online presence. Use this to your advantage. Showing an employer how much you know about their industry will express enthusiasm, ultimately increasing your chances of securing the position.
4. Plan in Advance
Why wait until the last minute to choose your outfit of the day when you can pick it out the night before? Plan how you’ll get to the interview ahead of time. Are you going to take a bus, get a taxi, walk or drive yourself? Do you know where the offices are? These are all very small obstacles that can save you plenty of time in the morning if you plan in advance. The last thing you want to be doing the morning of your interview is running around the house looking for that left shoe that you “swore you left in that place”, right? Planning all of these little things ahead of time means that you don’t have to make these decisions on the day of your interview meaning that you have a clear head and frame of mind walking into that interview.
5. Be Early
Allow yourself 10 – 15 minutes before the scheduled time for the interview to give yourself a little time to get your thoughts together and just relax. There is very little worse than rushing into an important interview all flustered and puffy faced because you had to run from the parking lot to make it to the office on time because you got held up in traffic as a result of not leaving early enough.
6. Stay Calm
Remain calm during the interview process. Remember the interviewer will be paying as much attention to your body language as they will be to your answers to the questions. When speaking to the interviewer try and make casual eye contact. Allow the interviewer to finish what they’re saying before you begin, avoid cutting the interviewer off. When you are asked a question, take a second to think about what you are saying. Remember “uhm” and “ehh” are not words.
7. Ask Questions
Most interviewers will give you the opportunity to ask some questions once the interview as been completed. Have one or two questions prepared to ask the interviewer. Having one or two questions prepared for the interviewer demonstrates your interest in the role and the organisation as a whole. If you do not have a question to ask after the interview this may not leave a great taste in the interviewers mouth and you may come across slightly apathetic.
