I will describe an interview as an opportunity given to a prospective employee by an employer on why they have to be hired. In an interview session, there is a need to see oneself as a product and an excellent marketer in order to successfully convince a panel to have them as part of a company.
From the very moment you submit your CV either in person or via an online portal, a sort of assessment has begun for you. Your preparation for an interview should start the moment you think of applying for a job, hence, having to ensure every form of readiness to ace the interview is essential.
Society has created an irony of a brilliant candidate always being the right fit for the role. However, an individual can be a “whiz kid” and fail woefully in an interview. If you are a young graduate, then an interview session is your first practical test outside school. Here, you answer questions that are not sourced from lecturers or school authorities but prominent people you need to convince. Even for employed persons who wish to assume higher roles, some form of discipline, diligence, and visibility is expected.
Preparing for an interview might feel intimidating, and convincing someone requires a lot of confidence, knowledge, and a sharp mind. These are very unique and essential tips for excelling in an interview.
You know what time it is
For your own nerves, and a relaxed atmosphere for the interview, be on time. If you have the opportunity to schedule your interview, choose a date and time you can honor and also likely to fit an organization’s optimal period for such an exercise. If not, be sure to be at least 45 minutes early to get settled in the venue. You may well as well be lucky to get viewed favorably, as sticking to time portrays respect for your would-be employers. On the flip side, being late for whatever reason at all gives a negative bias from the panelists you may never recover from. You may go blank when asked a question, as you may not be in the right frame of mind to answer coherently or correctly. Even though your CV was compelling enough to get you an interview, you may ultimately be caught delivering a poor performance because of the ripple effect lateness has on your posture, attitude, and even the sound of your voice. Tardiness is an almost unforgivable excuse to give to a potential employer and as much as possible, stick to time.
Get your ‘swag’ on
A good physical appearance is a confidence-booster. Those pristine shirts or moderate heels you’ve been shelving for a big day—an interview for an entry-level job or even one in a managerial position if you are already employed, qualifies as one of those days, so rock them with pride. Appear clean and shaven (men) or with a moderate makeup and nice ponytail hairstyle (women, optional, as long as you are comfortable), wearing a bright smile. There is no way you can walk before an interview panel very timid or shy. Once this is detected, the panel tends to intimidate you and eventually flaw you out of the interview. You need to be very graceful during such sessions and this will be determined through your presentation, good composure, eye contact, and audible speech. It is quite expected to be tensed prior to the interview, nonetheless, try to shake off, as they can easily prevent you from bagging the interview. You could get rid of such nerves by constantly practicing before you go for the interview. I would advise having some mock interviews to prepare you and psyche your mind. Find a buddy or coach to ask you potential questions and respond to them as though in a real-life session. Keep a very good composure, gesture, and nod if you have to, but look out for excesses and steer clear off of them, and practice your walk-in posture. Also, do well to keep good eye contact with the panel. Avoid speaking without directly looking at them, smile when you should, and make sure you are very relaxed. Make sure your articulation is very clear and you are well heard. Talk within the standard pace; avoid speaking too fast or too slow. Keep extra copies of your CV just in case a panel member may for some reason need one.
The past is not the present
You may have left previous employment to apply for this new role and may be asked why you made that move. You would want to answer this carefully, so as not to paint a negative perception about your previous employers, as this may cast a shadow on your good inputs made at the interview so far. Also, focus your panels’ attention on your strengths and why you are the best candidate for the job. Avoid sob stories on your weaknesses—portray them as things that you need to improve on to increase your productivity, for example, you may want a state that you find it necessary at every given moment to take notes when instructions are given so that you give off your best without missing any detail. A ‘weakness’ presented like that looks more of a good thing rather than sounding sloppy. This may put you miles ahead of other candidates for that same position. Make use of percentages when giving illustrations on how you increased profitability or delivered results on a project. People relate better when you are concise in your answers.
What do you know?
You need to increase your knowledge scope before going for an interview. Learn a lot about the company and other current affairs. Be determined to answer every question correctly, leaving your best impression behind. Be knowledgeable about the position you are applying for. Take advantage of the internet to carefully research the company as well as the available role. Be very much abreast of a lot of information about the company. This helps in answering questions and also allows you to ask questions; never leave an interview without any question for the panel. Asking reasonable and intelligent questions specific to the role gives you an upper hand and obviously shows that you have done a thorough background check on the company. If your interview was devoid of a discussion concerning salary, hold on till you get the offer and negotiate from there, rather than using your time for questions to probe about that because ideally, you should have read about it to have a fair range of how much people are getting paid in the role you want to assume.
Show ‘we’ something small
Employees are expected to be critical thinkers and problem solvers. The university system is structured such that young people complete with a mature mind and ready to go to corporate institutions to aid in problem-solving. Hence, an interviewee is expected to exude such quality. You are required to think on your feet in an interview session. Be open to answer any question and express your views and opinions on any issues given. During this engagement, do well to be succinct and quick in thought. Avoid beating about the bush or completely digressing from the subject matter. There is nothing like a difficult question or a perfect answer during an interview; they are all strategies to test the vastness of your knowledge and pragmatic intelligence. Therefore, when these come up, do well to think thoroughly and quickly in order to deliver rightly. Be confident in your delivery and refrain from acting unconvincingly. Ensure you answer every question and leave no stone unturned. Do well to thank the panelists for their time at the end of the session.
Now, you will slay giants at your next job interview. You will convince the panel why you are the preferred candidate among thousands of applicants.
