Effective Interview Tips

The job interview is the most decisive event in your job search. Once, you present yourself effectively you can make the mark. Even if you are not selected, each successful interview gives a boost to your confidence.

To me, the interview can be divided into three phases and each phase requires attention & thorough preparation.

• Pre-Interview Phase

1. 1. 1. Research the Company & Industry
      2. Practice makes a man perfect
      3. Research & relate with your job description
      4. Make a list of common questions to be asked
      5. Dress nicely & come early
      6. Prepare & Bring a copy of your resume

• During Interview

1. 1. 1. Come with a vibrant body language
      2. Tell me about yourself winning point
      3. Present your unique selling points
      4. Anticipate interviewers concerns & reservations
      5. Try to mark in first 5 to 7 minutes
      6. Your answers to rally around your skills & accomplishments
      7. Be an interviewer towards the end

• Post-Interview Phase

1. 1. Send a mail of thanks for the Interview.

Pre-Interview Phase

Here are a few tips that every job- seeker must pay attention to get success.

• Thorough research on company, Industry & JDS

The first thing to do is to conduct an effective, relevant & better research on the company, its structure, profile & behaviour where you are expected to be hired.

Then on the overall conduct and scale of the industry. At every point make your paper notes and mental notes too.

Research on the job descriptions is equally important and relate the research with your experience, qualification & skills to the job description mentioned in the job ad.

Once you research and surf through the internet you will feel better equipped for the coming battle of wits.

Keep in your mind that mere information collection is not sufficient you should also be in the know that what are the improvements required in the company or industry overall. Have a comparative study too.

• Make a list of expected common questions

It is very important that you make an exhaustive list of expected common questions.

For this, you can ask other people in the field, consult books, web research etc. and most of all, keeping in view your job description, you can apply your own common sense.

Having such a list you start preparing your answers in a concise but effective manner. Try to pose as an interviewer and then prepare a list of questions and their answers.

After a while, you will feel that you have a lot of knowledge of the company, industry and your own self.

• Practice makes a man perfect

Having charted out questions and their possible answers, start practising. Practice can either be in front of a mirror or before one or two of your friends who can act like interviewers.

The more you practice, the more you get crystallized in your thoughts and responses. With this practice, you have an added advantage that you learn industry jargons & keywords.

Moreover, you get over the tongue knots that you may come across while in an interview.

• Dress Nicely & Come Early

Your attire gives you a personality. It may impact your interviewer positively. So your dress should be nice, decent & befitting to the event. Try formal for formal interviews that give a serious impression.

Of course, the dress includes shoes, socks, necktie and even a belt. Please follow the dress code. It shows your seriousness for the job.

Again, come 10 to 15 minutes before the interview so that you could relax and get acclimatized with the ambience. Late arrival will have deep hazards for you. So don’t take the risk, be well before time.

• Have a nice copy of your resume

Have a print of your resume beforehand and keep it before you during the interview. It not only shows your interview manners but saves you from awkward situations.

While sitting outside the interview, you can go through your resume. It will act like your handy notes.

During Interview

• Come with a vibrant body language

Come with a vibrant, enthusiastic, enthralling body language. Dull, drab and confused body language would leave a negative impact on the interviewer. But keep in mind that you should not look overly enthusiastic and overly joyful.

• Tell me about yourself” make it your winning point

The first impression leaves an indelible mark. In most of the interviews, it is almost the first question that is put by the interviewer. Here comes your quality of expression, clarity of thought, connectivity and the ability to market yourself in a meaningful way.

The core point in this question is to highlight your qualifications, your achievements in your field, a tinge of how can you be useful for the hiring company and lastly, your profession. The response to this question can take your interview ahead. So try your best to make it your winning point.

• Present your unique selling points (USPs)

Starting from your resume to your interview you must know what your unique selling points are, i.e. it may be related with your professional qualification, your previous experience in last companies or how did you prove yourself better than the other team members etc.

But remember, during the interview even if not asked, your USPs should sneak into your discussions. So, the interviewer could have a fair idea of your advantages.

• Anticipate interviewers concerns & reservations

In fact, a predominant part of your interview revolves around some hidden concerns of an interviewer.

It is your utmost duty to rule out those concerns one by one. He may be concerned about your knowledge of the job, the longevity of stay in job, your performance in a team or your level of motivation etc.

Your task before the interview is to list down these presumptive concerns. He might be concerned about why did you leave your last job.

So a good interviewee is already in the know of what could be the concerns or reservations of an interviewer. Assure him that you are a better choice.

• Try to make a mark in the first 5 to 7 minutes

As I said earlier, that ‘the first impression leaves an inedible mark on the interviewer’. It is generally presented & rightly presumed that in the first 5 to 7 minutes interviewer makes his mind either you are good for the job or not.

At least, he shortlists you in the preliminary 5 to 7 minutes. So make a reasonable effort to utilize the starting time in your favour. Equanimity of temper, calm but enthusiastic attitude impresses others in every situation. Do not make a hotchpotch.

Listen to the other side very carefully and then respond wisely, do not stick to what you have responded earlier when the interviewer does not want you to. Don’t be hasty.

Do not get confused even if you don’t respond to many questions. But the crux of the matter is to make the most out of the first 5 to 7 minutes.

• Be an interviewer at the end

If you are confident that the interview went well, naturally you feel confident. In this situation, you should ask a few of your questions from the interviewer, e.g. about the company, about your expected job, about any fringe benefits etc.

But remember, do not show overconfidence, do not be offensive & don’t be childish. And NEVER ask if you are selected etc.

Post Interview Phase

• Send an email of thanks to the interviewer

It would be, undoubtedly, impressive & encouraging if you send an email of gratitude to the interviewer wherein you appreciate his interview style, your learning from his interview, patience with which he listened to your responses & blessings etc.

But again remember; never give any hint that you are asking about your selection or rejection. Everything should be in a positive vein. Need not to be inquisitive but be grateful & optimistic with best wishes for the company