Preparing for a job interview can be a daunting task. However, employing the right skills and attitude can prove invaluable and positively affect your experience. Letโs explore the six job interview tips for having an outstanding interview.
Research on the Company Profile
Make an in-depth study of the company. Understand their goals, missions, visions and values. Also, obtain sufficient knowledge of the innovations and major achievements of the company. This will help you to tailor your responses. You genuinely express your interest in the position you are being interviewed for when you have sufficient information about the company. For example, if youโre interviewed by a company that deals with renewable energy, you can mention their recently completed or ongoing project. Discuss how you will help them achieve similar and more breakthroughs with your skills and knowledge.
Practice Frequently Asked Questions
Be familiar with the FAQs to get insight into what the actual question might look like. Knowledge of the questionsโ patterns and categories will enable you to rank your thoughts and order your communications effectively. For example, when asked, โTell me about yourself,โ donโt go about reciting your resume and everything. Go ahead and talk about your experience related to the job position. For example, you may say, โI have five years of experience in digital marketing and have increased traffic by 40% through SEO writing.โ this is more specific and tells your interview exactly what you can do.
Dress Decently and Arrive Early
Appearance is the key to perception. You must take your appearance seriously because before your words, it represent you. Dress smart and decently to reflect the role youโre being interviewed for. Another important thing to consider is that you must arrive early for the interview. Arriving 10 -15 minutes after the stipulated may lead to your disqualification. Early arrival will help you to finalise your preparations. If itโs a virtual interview, ensure that all the gadgets you need are in good condition at least an hour before the set time for the interview.
Maintain Eye Contact
Non-verbal communication such as eye contact and facial expressions are equally important as verbal communication skills. ` Wear a welcoming smile and be relaxed. Remember that interviews are not meant to tempt you. Maintaining good eye contact and a smile will help reinforce your responses and boost your confidence. Before the interview, practice before a mirror or a friend to enhance your confidence. This will help you understand and rate the level of your delivery.
Be Concise in your Responses
Donโt talk about everything when youโre asked specific questions. Focus on providing concise answers to the questions youโre asked. When giving a response about a project you partook in or executed, use the STAR method(Situation, Task, Action and Result). For example, โIn my last role, I had few project assistants(Situation). I was tasked with getting responses from potential clients in five local government areas(Task). I trained more people to assist with the project(Action). We got 254 responses within a week and three days(result). This shows what you did without going into details.
Follow Up after the Interview
Send a thank you note or email within 24 hours after the interview. This will further consolidate your interest in the position. Express your excitement about the position and reiterate your willingness to play crucial roles in helping the company reach new milestones. A follow-up message demonstrates professionalism and can play a major role in rating your interest in the position.
By following the strategies outlined. You can effectively communicate your interest in a position during the interview and convince potential employers about the value and quality that makes you outstanding from other candidates.