Securing a great job is a major accomplishment in today’s world. There is a great deal of competition in every field of business, and job seekers must master the art of succeeding in job interviews. Success in a job interview depends as much on the candidate’s interpersonal skills as on their academic knowledge and job experience.
Let’s take a look at the types of interviews and how you can be well prepared for them:
- In-person Interview
The first step for performing well in an interview is to prepare well for it. No matter who you are or how much experience you have, remember that the hiring manager or interviewer has the ability to assess you and your competence. Taking an interview casually is almost the surest way of not getting the job. Thus, make sure you spend at least an hour prior to preparing for the interview. Here are some of the things you need to do before stepping into the meeting room.
- Understand the job profile:
We know you read the job description before you emailed the resume. However, it never hurts to double-check to properly understand the roles and responsibilities in detail and ensure that you didn’t miss out on any information.
- Read the resume:
Even though it is your own resume, it is always important to read it thoroughly. This helps in ensuring that you don’t miss out on any fact or detail and there is absolute coherence between your words and those printed on the resume.
- Research about the company:
Being caught unaware of the background, market standing, core services, and products or leaders of the company can be grave mistakes. If you are consciously seeking to join the organization then you must also be able to demonstrate your knowledge about it.
- Probable questions and responses:
Based on the job role, organization, and your own background, you should take into account the questions you are likely to be asked and what would be your response to those. Make sure your responses are quantified, verifiable, and confident. Giving vague answers like, ‘I worked on a lot of projects’ without naming any specific ones is likely to be a mistake.
The way you walk into the interview room, act, greet others, and talk is all a part of the process of your self-introduction for the interview. That’s why there are certain points you need to be careful about.
- Be punctual –
Arriving late for an interview is a near-fatal error. Whether “there was a lot of traffic” or not, it is difficult to find acceptance if you make the interviewers wait.
- Communicate well –
The ability to communicate well ranks right on top of a person’s social skills. Talking about things not relevant to the question, using a lot of filler words such as “ums” and “uhs”, repeating the questions, or interrupting the interviewers when they speak can surely ruin an interview. Hence, it is important for you to speak clearly, calmly, and in a manner that conveys the sincerity and knowledge of your words.
- Show confidence, not arrogance:
If you are applying for a senior role where you need to highlight your accomplishments and knowledge, do it in a manner that brings out your ability to work in a team and inspire and lead others towards success. A boastful tone, body language, or talking about others in a disdainful manner is an incorrect approach.
- Online Interviews
These are post-COVID days, and online interviews on Zoom and Skype have become the order of the day, especially for the initial rounds. While the approach and the behavior of a candidate should be the same for in-person or online interviews, certain things need to be taken care of.
- Check the tech –
Thoroughly check the network quality, lighting, sound clarity, and surroundings while appearing for an interview. You don’t want a ‘superhero’ poster behind your head or a repetitive ‘trying to reconnect’ situation during the interview.
- Dress up formally –
Online interviews might be conducted from home, but you still need to dress up the way you would while going for an in-person interview.
- No distractions –
Make sure everyone in the house knows you are going to appear for an interview so nobody should walk past your chair, try singing, or play music. Also, put your phone away.
The key is to display your professionalism irrespective of the medium of the interview and come across as a learned, experienced, cooperative, and well-groomed person.
