HOW TO EXCEL AT YOUR INTERVIEW

Are you preparing yourself for a job interview? A job interview is like a sales pitch for the candidate. As a candidate, you are the product as well as the salesperson. Research suggests that interviewers, in most cases, make up their mind on whether they want to hire the candidate or not within the very first minute. Considering that, you should be able to sell your skills, professional accomplishment, etiquette, and personality within 60 seconds.

So, how to excel at your job interview? Here’s what you mainly need to focus on:

Presentation –

Did you know that nearly 68% HRs reject candidates who don’t present themselves nicely? Everything from your toe to head is examined at a job interview. How you present yourself is the simplest thing one can take care of, yet many fail to. What you are wearing, your hairstyle, your nails … everything matters.

Body Language - 

Your posture matters. A lot. In one of our previous blogs, we mentioned that our body language carries 55% weight in communication. Sitting with your arms crossed, fidgeting, not making eye contact while talking/listening are some of the signs of poor body language. Don’t forget to exert confidence and keep a smile on. Not only will that dilute your nervousness, but also make you appear as a confident individual. [Just don’t overdo it.]

About Yourself –

“Can you tell us something about yourself?”

Be ready with an answer to this question. One thing to keep in mind before answering this question is that you should talk about things which are not on the resume. You have come this far in the recruitment process because they like your resume and now they want to know more about you. This question allows you to talk about your strengths or skills which may be important to the position you have applied for. The question also gives you the opportunity to tell them why you are the ideal candidate for that role.

You may also talk about any volunteering work that you have done in the past and state how that experience can help you at work. Having said that, don’t end it there. This question gives you the opportunity to carve a path of your choice for the interview. Tell them something interesting about yourself that makes you … YOU.

Failure –

“Tell us about that one time you failed and what did you learn from it?”

We all have experienced failures in life, haven’t we? It’s, like they say, a part and parcel of life. So, that’s not a big deal. The big deal is our attitude – what we do after failing. D’you pick yourself up and try again … harder? Or do you simply give up thinking that it’s not your cup of tea? Another thing to keep in mind is ownership. Do you share the failure with the team or do you accept that it was your fault? Share an honest story where you fell on your face … because we all do. Share a story where you failed because of your fault (no blame game) and how you took the learnings and used them in your favour.

Ask questions –

Before you sit for the job interview round, be prepared to ask questions at the end of the interview. While it is primarily the job of the interviewers, it is expected that you, too, ask questions. That shows that you are eager to join the company and have done your homework on the company and the position you have applied for.

It is important to understand that the people sitting on the other side of the desk have tons of wisdom. So, to conclude, the biggest mistake that one can commit during an interview is being a fake person. Don’t go for an interview with a picture of someone who you think is the ideal candidate for the job. You don’t have to be someone you are not. Just be your honest self and present the finest version of yourself. Ultimately, it is all about who YOU are.