Top 10 Tips to Nail your Job Interview

(Image Credit: forbes.com)

Do you feel nervous before your Job Interview? Trust me, we all do, and that is perfectly normal. We all have that fear of getting rejected or not being able to answer simple interview questions and get embarrassed. Don't worry, this article will provide you with some crucial tips on how to stay confident during a Job interview and stand out from a crowd. These steps are easy to follow and will help you make a great impression!

1. Know the position you are applying for.

Always read the Job Description before applying for a position. Understand what the job requirements are, and what are the roles and responsibilities of the position. For example if the job is for a Team Lead position, prepare your answers accordingly. Knowing this you will be able to discuss examples from your previous jobs that will exemplify this trait.

2. Research the company you are interviewing for.

It is always important to have some research on the company and its current events. What the company goals are, who are the clients they work with, what are the business needs of the company. This will help you present yourself to the employer on how you can play an important role that can be beneficial for the company. Additionally, your employer will know that you have done your homework and have a genuine interest in the position and the company

3. Study Your Resume and know it well.

Always study your Resume and know what previous job skills or projects have you mentioned. The interviewer does ask questions related to the past experience you mentioned in your Resume and the whole point of these questions is to know how these past experiences relate to the position you are interviewing for. So it is very important to speak intelligently about your previous positions and how they relate to the role you are interviewing for. This will give employers confidence that they have the right person.

4. Display your skills with examples.

Saying phrases like, 'I am hardworking' or 'I can handle difficult customers' are not enough for the employers to believe you. You should be able to tell them a story on how you are hardworking or when and how you came across a difficult customer, how you dealt with them, what steps you took to resolve the customer's issue.

5. Prepare Interview Tool Kit

Preparing a tool kit for your interview is the best strategy to organize yourself and staying confident that you have all the things required to bring to an interview. The interview tool kit can have 4 to 5 copies of your resume, include copies of your certificates that can help you convince the employer that you have the required qualification, job description, directions to the office, notebook, pen, and a water bottle.

6. Arrive 30 minutes before

Preparing yourself to arrive at the office 30 minutes earlier gives you enough margin in case you are stuck in traffic or gives you enough time to find the building you are looking for. Once you arrive at the office you can have a seat, gather your thoughts, go through your Resume, and summarize your key strengths. Even after all that if you have some time left, every interview waiting areas have some kind of company magazine, pick one of those and start going through it, when the interviewer comes to receive you it will leave the impression of how much interested you are in working with the company.

7. Build Rapport

"First impression is the Last impression", we all have heard of this saying since childhood. Well, one of the most correct time to implement this is in the interview room. As soon as you enter the room make sure you greet the interviewer with a firm handshake and a pleasant smile, make eye contact, and ask how are they doing?

Most of the time interviewer asks you some questions too before starting an interview like, were you able to find the building easily or what commute you used to be here. Don't just answer these questions by saying , 'Yes it was easy' or 'I drove here'. These two or three-word answers show a bit of a lack of confidence.

Try to answer these questions in a more conversational way, like 'Well I did a quick go through on Google maps before leaving and found that the office building is right across the XYZ cafe, so I took the ABC highway to get here which is usually clear at this time. So it was very easy to drive and get here'. Now, this complete answer shows that you are confident and able to communicate easily.

8. Make eye contact

One of the best ways to show your confidence in the interview is to make eye contact with the interviewer. Not making a proper eye contact can give an impression that you are not confident enough or even you are not interested in the job. Direct eye contact shows your strong communication skills, it shows that you are confident and have high self-esteem. These are the two main communication skills employers look for.

9. Be yourself

Always be truthful of what you are and what skills you have. Faking a skill you don't know about will only make the situations awkward. Trust me, Interviewers are smart. They can sense the lack of authenticity right away. For example if you are an expert in Javascript but a beginner in PHP, and still you are trying so hard to convince that you have a lot of experience with PHP. It will take one to two questions for the interviewer to figure out you are lying. So to avoid this embarrassing situation, always be truthful. If you are the right fit for the job you will get it. But lying will get you nowhere and even if they have the job for a Javascript expert, they won't consider you as you were not being truthful.

10. Questions and Next Steps

After every interview, the interviewer asks if you have any questions for me. DO NOT SAY NO. Again asking questions will prove your willingness to work for the company. Prepare two to three questions to ask from the employer. You can ask about the day-to-day responsibilities of the role, their favorite part about working at the company, the most challenging aspect of this job. Don’t ask questions like how many hours, start and finish times, or even money.

Well, there are no magic words like 'Abracadabra" that will give you a job instantly. The absolute key is the right attitude, you may not have all the skills required for the job. But with the right attitude and few skills, you can be given the chance that will change your life!

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