Fresher or experienced, interview tips are definitely sought by each one of us wanting to land a good job. During an interview, the organization is looking for more than just what’s on your resume to fill out the position. It’s not just parts of you but the entirety that matters to them. Your one-of-a-kind skills and point of view can make a significant contribution to their success, regardless of whether you are currently pursuing your education or have years of professional experience under your belt.
Ready to make an excellent first impression and ace your next job interview? Take a step ahead from just researching the organization. Here are some of the best job interview tips to help you get past the process and answer the interview questions with ease.
Acing The Job Interview – Tips & Tricks
The Beginning
Be ready for anything and everything, that is, do your homework well. Know about the company/organization/college you are applying to. Understand position or course applied for.
Race Against Time
Literally race! Time is of essence. You need to reach the place of interview on time. Start from your place to place of interview at time taking into account unseen commute or other delays. Prior information from internet maps and other persons about exact location, how to reach there, how much time it will take to reach there will be quite helpful.
What To Bring To An Interview
Your documents, of course! Do remember to carry all the required documents such as educational qualification certificates, experience certificates, photographs, address proof, id proof etc. Carry their originals as well as a copy (self attested/attested by gazetted officers, as required). Also, remember to carry back original documents.
Waiting Period
On reaching the place of interview, report to concerned authorities for your attendance. While waiting for your turn, you may do light talk with other participants but never discuss their or your preparation. This will unnecessarily make you anxious. Also, do not do last minute cramming or reading.
How To Dress For An Interview
A job interview is a formal thing and the first impression is a lasting one. Do not be overdressed or underdressed. Normally, suits are a safe bet for both the male and female candidates. Choose that or any other formal attire which is comfortable in case you have to sit for long.
At the same time, like an actor’s clothing, it’s important that your interview attire should help you make a good impression. Do some research about the industry, your role, the roles of the two people above you, and the environment in which you’ll be working. With these, you can improve your matching skills considerably.
Job Interview Étiquettes
A successful interview requires the right etiquettes or codes of conduct you need to follow. Let’s have a quick roundup of few important ones:
- Keep your handshake firm and your smile genuine when you shake the interviewer’s hand and exchange pleasantries.
- Take it easy. Try not to fidget or look uneasy throughout the interview. Having the correct mindset can set you apart from the competition. If you fail the interview, don’t worry; nobody will hang you until you die. You can always try again.
- Pay close attention to the interviewer’s questions and answers. If you are unsure of the question’s intent, either ask for clarification or try to rephrase it. Provide a detailed, to-the-point response. Don’t drift away from the topic.
- Be completely honest. You will regret telling lies or exaggerating.
- Never speak ill of your school, professors, friends, or employers. The value of an employee’s loyalty to their company is highly valued.
- Don’t make excuses for your lack of experience; instead, highlight your talents, transferable skills, and eagerness to learn, and explain how they will benefit the company.
Job Interview Tips For Questions Asked
What if you knew in advance what questions the hiring manager would ask you when you go in for the interview? Sounds fun, doesn’t it? But, such things don’t happen. So, let’s get real here and we’ll help you with the list of the top 10 most common interview questions and suggestions of how well to answer them.
- Tell me about yourself – This question sounds simple, so many people don’t prepare for it. Let’s see how best you can answer this: Firstly, keep your answer strictly work-related. Always remember that the interviewers are not looking for personal information. Be precise, explaining your narrative in chronological sequence. Start with how you got started in your present job. Discuss your academic work if you’re a recent graduate or entry-level candidate. Why did you study this? What’s your experience? If you have work experience, discuss your successes, career advancements, and why you’re job hunting.
- Why do you wish to work for this particular firm?
Don’t go for a generic response or you will blow your chance to stand out from other applicants. To that end, consider these four options:
- Find out what makes the company exceptional and how it meets your interests;
- Describe the company’s development since you first heard about it;
- Consider how you can assist the company’s growth; or
- Share your most intriguing employee experiences.
Regardless of the approach you take, be as detailed as possible. What good is it to get this far in the job process if you still don’t know why you want to work for the firm you’re interviewing with? This could be a warning sign that you aren’t a good fit for the job.
- Why should we hire you?
If you’re asked this direct and perhaps terrifying interview question, consider yourself lucky. There is no better time to sell yourself and your skills to a potential employer than during the interview process. Your goal should be to provide an answer that demonstrates not only your ability to execute the work but also your ability to produce excellent outcomes, your compatibility with the team and culture, and why you should be hired above the other applicants.
- Tell us about your greatest strengths.
Here’s a chance to highlight why you’re a fantastic candidate for this position. So better focus on quality rather than quantity. Instead of spewing adverbs, talk about a single or multiple attributes that are essential to success in this role, and provide concrete instances to back them up. And if there’s something that makes you a fantastic prospect that you haven’t had a chance to bring up yet, now is the moment to do so.
- What are your weaknesses?
Beyond flagging any obvious red flags, the real purpose of this question is to test your level of self-examination and sincerity during the interview. As a result, it’s not possible to say either “I can’t meet a deadline to save my life” or “Nothing!” Yes, I am the ideal human being”. Find balance by considering an area of development you’re currently focusing on. You may, for instance, have always struggled with public speaking, but you’ve recently agreed to lead meetings so that you can gain experience in this area.
- Describe a time when you had to resolve a conflict at work and how you did so.
Simply tell the truth about a trying experience you’ve had (without going into the kind of detail you’d use while relating it to a friend). The hirer wants to know whether or not you will “face these kinds of issues head-on” and try to find a solution. Always maintain composure and professionalism when sharing the story, focusing more on the outcome than the cause of the conflict, and include a mention of what you would do differently next time to demonstrate that “you’re open to learning from tough experiences.”
- Why do you want to leave your current job?
You can be sure of being asked this difficult question. Remember that you have nothing to gain by complaining about your current employer, so you should always maintain an upbeat attitude. Try reframing the situation to highlight your enthusiasm for new challenges and how the position you’re interviewing for is a better fit for your skillset.
- Where do you see yourself in the next five years?
Be forthright and detailed if questioned in this manner, but keep in mind: Hiring managers have three main concerns: (a) whether you have reasonable expectations for your career, (b) whether you have ambition (i.e., whether or not this interview is the first time you’ve considered the question), and (c) whether or not the position is a good fit for your development. The finest response you can provide is one that takes into account where you could go with this job. It’s reasonable to admit to being uncertain about the future and to view the events you’ve just lived through as contributing significantly to your decision-making process.
- How much salary do you expect?
First and foremost, you should know what your minimum salary expectations are before answering this question. Investigate the going rate for jobs like this one. Think about what you’ve learned, what you’re good at, what you want, and what you need. Another option is to pick one of the following three approaches:
- Indicate a salary range: To be more realistic, aim for the middle to the high end of your stated range.
- Try flipping the question – Tell them how helpful it would be if they could share the salary range for the role.
- Put off discussing salary until after you’ve gotten a better grasp on the role and the company’s other benefits.
- How soon can you start?
You should try to find a good balance between what you want and what the company can give you. How that statement sounds depends on the details of your situation. If you can start right away, like if you are unemployed, offer to start within a week. But if you feel like you should tell your current boss that you are leaving, don’t be afraid to do so. It’s normal to want some time off between jobs. If the company insists that you start right away, be ready to say that you have “previously scheduled commitments to attend to”.
Takeaway On Interview Tips
We hope our job interview tips helped you with:
- How to prepare for an interview in the best way possible.
- Gaining confidence to answer all the interview questions.
- The Important interview rules and things to know before an interview.
- How to ace the interview so that you land the job.
Do you have any more suggestions to add to this list regarding interviews? Do tell in the comments section, and we appreciate you taking the time to read this!