Attending job interviews can be nerve-wrecking. Especially so for people who do not know how to sell themselves well. It’s as much some science as it is an art to be able to do well in this. Fortunately, improving your interview skills is something that you can learn and practise on. Practise makes perfect, so if you are called for an interview, make sure you put in as much effort as you can to do some homework so that you can perform your best. You don’t want to walk out of an interview feeling that you’ve just blown away a great opportunity just because you did not spare the time to work on it beforehand.
Here are some tips on how you can prepare yourself for that all-important interview, and hopefully ace it.
You have heard the phrase “first impression counts” and that is absolutely true at a job interview. Show up at the employer’s office in a well-groomed manner, meticulously dressed if you have to. Pay attention to small details like making sure your hair is not in a mess, your make-up should be kept to a bare minimum instead of appearing like you’re ready to party all night. Ensure that your shirt, trousers/pants or skirt is properly pressed and your shoes are clean. For guys, also be sure that you are wearing a pair of matching socks (it’s easy to mismatch a blue and black sock when looked under dim lighting!). Try to avoid clothes that are made of easily crumpled materials such as linen. Wear clothes that are you comfortable in so that you do not feel self-conscious.
Having taken care of your appearance, you also need to show substance at the interview. You need to do a lot more homework in this area than your grooming efforts. One of the first things you should do is to do some research on the hiring company. Get to know as much of the company and its culture as possible. It bodes well with the interviewer that you have bothered to spend time and effort to find out about the company. This shows initiative on your part.
The next thing you need to work on is to anticipate some favourite questions normally asked at interviews. Some of these questions can be tricky to answer and some may even prove to be difficult. Nevertheless, it’s better to think ahead and prepare your answers than to be caught offguard. Here are some questions you can think about for appropriate answers before you attend the interview:
”Tell me about yourself”
This general question is usually the way an interviewer begins the interview. Your answer to this should focus NOT on personal information but more towards your education and working experiences. You are expected to give a brief description of what you have done (roles and responsibilites) at each employment. You can also talk about skills you have acquired and whatever additional knowledge you have.
“What are your strengths and weaknesses?”
Whilst it’s easy to talk about your strengths, it’s difficult to spell out your weaknesses. No interviewees will truly reveal the flaws in them. You need to think through this very carefully and give answers that do not jeopardize your chances of being employed. Some weaknesses can actually be looked at positively if you can position it wisely. For example, being a slow decision-maker can be turned around to give an impression of a person who takes time to thoroughly weigh the costs and benefits of a situation, a good way of risk management, etc. So you may want to think along the lines of how you can turn a “bad” into a “good”. No one likes to elaborate on flaws, so do not try to go into detail about your weaknesses, whatever they may be.
“Why should I hire you?”
To this question, it’s best that you channel your answer to focus on the value add you are bringing to the company rather than to make a comparison of yourself to other candidates or persons. Focus on what you can do good that will be an asset to the company.
“What value-add would you bring to the company?”
Match your skills and experiences to what the job you are interviewing for and see how you can contribute positively to it. If it is a similar job to your current one, your years of experience may give you an edge in terms of how you are able to help implement some best practises or bring about simpler yet effective ways of doing things. If you are interviewing for a completely different job or industry, what you may be able to contribute may be your vast views and different methods of looking at things and therefore bring about fresh perspectives of a situation. Sometimes, diversity works well.
“Where do you see yourself five years down the road?”
Many employers would like to know what your plans in life are like. To answer this question, think about where you want to move on in your career path. Naturally, everybody says they want to be better off, in a higher position than before, and so on and so forth. If you have specific plans in mind like being an expert in a certain field, let that be known. It may not be in the capacity you are interviewing for, and you may point out that the job is a milestone towards your end goal. If you are able to paint a clear picture of where you are headed and how you see yourself getting there, it should we well accepted.
There are many more questions that you can think of and prepare for. The ones highlighted above are just some of the more common and difficult ones to answer on-the-spot. So put on your thinking cap and work out convincing answers. However, when responding to these questions, avoid sounding too rehearsed with your answers. No one likes textbook answers and they are easily detectable if you sound too stiff and academic about it.
Apart from answering questions, you should also be asking questions of your interviewer. Ask relevant questions regarding the job scope, the company’s directions and expectations, etc. You may even ask about the working environment and culture.
Some gestures are also important to the interviewer to form impressions of you. Usually, a handshake is the appropriate thing to do when you first introduce yourself to the interviewer. However, if you do not get a chance for a handshake at the start of the interview, you can also initiate one at the end when you stand up to thank the interviewer. When giving a handshake, give it a firm grip. It’s a no-no to offer a flimsy hand as it shows insincerity or the lack of character. A firm handshake shows confidence and look the person in the eye when you are doing this.
Whatever you do, always tell the truth at a job interview. The reason is simple. If you are asked to elaborate on a story you were telling, you will be able to explain it clearly and convincingly if it was a true occurrance. To make up a story on-the-spot to support what you said is not advisable because you will likely fumble the more you are asked to talk about it. So stay true to your course and earn the job through merits. After all, you want a job that you can cope with rather than to wear a hat that’s bigger than your head.
Here’s wishing you the best of luck and we hope that the tips have helped you. Go on and ace that interview and earn the dream job you deserve!
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You would sound much more authoratative and believable if you proofread the content on this page. There are way too many spelling errors. Practices is spelled witha c, not an s!
Why would I take advice from somebody who doesn’t know how to spell?