5 Tips for Successful Job Interview

The word “Interview” takes us to a new world altogether, which does not only mean sitting in front of the interviewer and presenting yourself in a confident manner but also selling your skills and in the calmest and composed manner.

Interview as a concept is like an adrenaline rush which brings with itself a lot of excitement and a ray of hope to start working in a new organization, with new people from different backgrounds and taking control of your life in your hands without having to depend on anybody else, and most importantly an improved standard of living making you an aware and professionally intellectual person with a completely new skill set ready to unflared them in the practical world.

Interview Success is not a myth. There are a lot of things that might make or break the interview you are appearing for. It’s not necessary that you might be or have to be rejected in a couple of interviews only that’s when you learn how to appear in an interview.

1. Do your Homework

We all know there is likely to be a “tell me about yourself and how you suit this role” thrown in there, so be ready. Research some of the commonly asked interview questions and have short answers prepared, clearly outlining and supporting why you have the relevant skills and experience.

The idea is to quickly communicate who you are and what value you will bring to the company and the role it’s your personal elevator pitch. Bring along a folder containing extra copies of your resume, a copy of your references and paper to take notes.

Getting an interview call or appearing for job placements organized by your institution is not the only thing that takes you to your dream job. The vital part of it lies with you. Learn about the organization you are going to appear for, which begins with knowing, the beginning and the history, the benchmarks set, the growth story, business line, and Most importantly the current scenario or market position. The information about the top management and important people of the organization can also be considered important. Preparation will help you with the material needed to be able to answer the interviewer's questions. Even the most qualified and well prepared applicants can be undone by nerves. And knowing the answer won't be enough, if you can't articulate it confidently to the interviewer.

Practice your prepared answers to anticipated questions aloud, until they come naturally and without hesitation. You can practice with someone else, and ask for feedback. Or by yourself, and record your answers to be able to understand how you will sound to others. It's up to you. The important thing is that you practice until the process is second nature.

2. Look Calm, Composed and Confident

There might be a hurricane going inside you while sitting in front of the interviewer while he/she is shooting questions at you that you might not know a thing about sometimes, but you have to look very calm and composed not losing your confidence for even a second. That does not only show your control over thought and speech but also reveals your personality trait to work under pressure. There might be questions asking you how you deal with ‘stressful situations’, ‘problematic colleagues’ or about your weaknesses. Try to answer each question with a positive spin and avoid ranting about your old workplace and colleagues.

There is a thin line between confidence and over-confidence. Being authentic and confident will work wonders for you, however, over-confidence might work as a show spoiler. Be yourself and trust your instincts.

3. Listen Attentively

Listening is key to great communication. Be attentive and listen to what specifically the interviewer wants to know about, over-answering or under-answering both will work against you, hence it is very important and essential for you to listen carefully and answer in a balanced way making your answer clear, brief and crisp. Use of less but correct and concise sentences get the interview on your side, thus adding to your advantage.

Telling the interviewer more than he needs to know could be a fatal mistake. When you have not prepared ahead of time, you may ramble when answering interview questions, sometimes talking yourself right out of the job. Prepare for the interview by reading through the job posting, matching your skills with the position's requirements and relating only that information.

One of the most neglected interview skills is listening. Make sure you are not only listening, but also reading between the lines. Communication is a two-way street. Thus listening is as much crucial as speaking in any communication.

4. Positive Body Language and Smile

Friendly confidence is great. We know you’re nervous, but make sure you greet your interviewer with a smile and a firm handshake. You’ll immediately come across as easy to talk to and enthusiastic about the opportunity. Don’t forget eye contact to engage with your recruiters and make sure to notice their posture, facial expression and voice tone.

What you don’t say can be as important as what you do say in job interviews. Understanding and maximizing your non-verbal smiling, eye contact, handshake, posture, and the like will help you succeed in the interview. You only get one chance to make a first impression, and research indicates that some interviewers have made up their mind about a candidate, within the first 5 minutes. So it's important to put your best foot forward.

Make sure that you bring positive energy and enthusiasm with you, the moment you walk in the door. Thanks the interviewer for their time. Let them know that you've been looking forwarding to meeting with them, and that you're excited about the prospect of working with the company to achieve a specific goal.

Body Language plays a vital role during any face-to-face communication. It is said that your body language does half the work for you even if you have not even spoken a word yet, as your gestures, posture, manners, the movements or positioning of your hands, legs, and eyes, your expressions, etc. very loudly and clearly speak about you. For example: crossed arms and legs display a closed personality which is not interested in any communication or, lowered eyes which show that you are not confident enough to look into the interviewers’ eyes and face the situation. Manners have a role of paramount importance in interviews as well, which might take you off the interview in a couple of seconds.

Smiling is a great way of exhibiting that you are happy to be a part of this interview and will be happy joining the organization as well. A beautiful simple smile is always welcomed, as it makes the interviewer relaxed and calm, in both the situations whether it’s the very first interviewer he/she is taking thus marking it to be a great start of the day or if he/she is frustrated after a long day of interviews been taken back to back.

Therefore, the way you are communicating by not verbally communicating can be a Make or Break situation. You should get in the interview with your head held high, showing respect, with a simple smile and an aura of confidence and positivity around you.

5. Answer the question asked

Candidates often don't think about whether they are actually answering the questions their interviewers ask. Make sure you understand what is being asked, and get further clarification if you are unsure. One specific example of your background is worth 50 vague stories.

Prepare your stories before the interview. Give examples that highlight your successes and uniqueness. Your past behavior can indicate your future performance. Many interviewees don't ask questions and miss the opportunity to find out valuable information. The questions you ask indicate your interest in the company or job. A classic recruiter pet peeve is the part of the interview when they wonder out loud if you have any questions for them, and you simply reply “no.” That can be a big strike against you. Interviewers will often finish up by asking if you have any questions. This gives you an opportunity to learn more about the position. But it's also a chance to show that you were listening during the interview, or to demonstrate your knowledge of the company and its values.

You can ask for clarification around a point mentioned earlier in the interview. Or you can show your interest in a current company project, by asking about it's progress. Avoid small talk, and use this opportunity to demonstrate your assertiveness and analytical skills. Having questions shows how interested you really are in the role and may also show that you did your homework and should be taken seriously. Prepare a list of questions you’d like answered, It’s ok to refer to your list of questions during the interview.