How To Ace a Job Interview: Job interviews can be nervous for anyone, whether it’s their first job right after graduation or their Fourth career change in many years.
If you’ve been through a few job interviews in the past, you’ll be aware that no two job interviews are exactly alike.
Some of the questions and scenarios that your potential employer throws at you can make you question whether or not you’re a good fit for the position you’ve applied for in the first place.
People can enter a room with an interviewer and completely blow them away with their personality and preparedness, while others can enter that same room and feel as if they should’ve called in sick to a job they haven’t even started yet because they lack confidence and preparation.
Applying for a job and being invited for an interview are only the first steps in the process of being hired. Now comes the hard part: actually doing the work.
During this episode of Getting Started, we will explain all you need to know about How To Ace a Job Interview.
1. Get comfortable with the idea of talking about yourself
When you go into a job interview, the vast majority of the questions you’ll be asked will be based on the answers you provided in your personal statement or cover letter.
Your answers to these questions will be based on the job specification, and since you’ve made it to the interview stage, it’s reasonable to assume you’ve read it. If you haven’t already, do so before your interview.
Go through your application and any bullet points in which you address the specification requirements. Invest some time in committing this list to memory so that when you walk into the interview, you’ll always have a series of points to draw from that you know will meet their requirements.
As a general rule, a job interview question will come in two different ways. The interviewer will ask you to describe a situation in which you demonstrated a particular skill or to explain what you took away from your previous work or school experience.
The interviewer might ask, “Tell us about a time when you think you demonstrated excellent teamwork skills, or tell us about yourself?
Read: 10 Ways to Get Rid of Anxiety Before a Job Interview
A good way to start your answer is to talk about what you think makes for good teamwork.
This gives you more time to think about your response and allows you to concentrate on the specific skill at hand. Then we’ll look at an example. Inform them of your responsibilities and the role you played.
Include an explanation of how you collaborated as a group and a statement about what you learned. If you’re having trouble summarizing what you’ve learned, go back to the beginning of the lesson.
This will ensure that your response meets all of the criteria and appears to be a well-thought-out response.
“Can you tell me a little about yourself?” Often, when an interviewer asks this question, he or she isn’t particularly interested in the fact that you enjoy stamp collecting or rock climbing in your spare time.
This question is asked because the interviewer wants to learn about your professional background and determine whether or not you are the type of person who will fit into their company culture.
Furthermore, make sure that your hobbies or interests are relevant to the position that you are considering applying for if you decide to bring them up.
Building model train sets in your spare time can be seen as a positive when it comes to paying attention to detail, and rock climbing can be seen as a positive when it comes to being fearless in the face of danger.
Interestingly, the fact that you are talking about yourself implies that they want you to be completely honest about the type of person that you are. Prepare yourself to discuss your own personal strengths and weaknesses.
Realistically, Affirming that you have no flaws is never a good idea because everyone has flaws, and to claim that you do not have any is simply not true.
Interviewers ask about your weaknesses in order to determine whether or not you are honest with yourself. However, this does not imply that weaknesses should be viewed negatively in any way.
Your weakness may be that you’re not a good writer, but as long as you’re not applying for a position that necessitates writing abilities, this should not have an impact on the outcome of the interview process.
In some cases, a weakness can be seen as a strength, depending on what the weakness is.
For example, you may have a weakness in that you frequently assist others in completing their work even when you are aware that they are capable of doing so on their own time.
However, based on your willingness to assist others, you can use this weakness to your advantage and revert to your natural strength of being a team player. Just keep in mind that not all flaws are necessarily negatives.
2. Extensive Research
Although it appears to be straightforward, what does it actually mean? Being well-prepared for an interview begins with thorough research into the company you are interviewing with. This is another approach on How To Ace a Job Interview.
It’s simple to Google a company to find out who they are and what they do, and the majority of the people who will be conducting the interviews are familiar with the information that appears in their search results.
One basic interview question you will be asked is “What do you know about us.” By conducting a thorough investigation into a company, you will be better prepared to answer this question.
Answering this question with the basic information you quickly found online is the quickest way to ensure that the interviewer will not pay attention to anything else you have to say, no matter how qualified you are as a candidate.
They are able to see right through the fluff, so carry out extensive research.
In addition to learning about the advantages of working for a particular company, doing research on them can also reveal any negative reviews or issues that they are currently facing. Initially, it may appear that bringing up these concerns during an interview would be a bad idea.
But in reality, it will demonstrate to the interviewer that you are genuinely interested in learning everything you can about the position you are applying for.
Additionally, this may provide you with an opportunity to inform them of how you can assist them in resolving the potential issue by providing a positive solution.
The ability to ask the right questions and provide uniquely personal responses to your interviewer puts you in a much better position than simply saying, “I saw the job posting and thought it would be cool to work here.”
Read: How to deal with toxic leadership at your job
3. Practice, practice, practice
Although it may seem silly to prepare for an interview, doing so can be extremely beneficial. Use a mirror, a group of friends and family, or even a recording to see how you sound and look while working on the technique.
It can make a significant difference between walking into an interview prepared and walking into an interview nervous and stumbling over your words if you practice these techniques before your interview.
Keep in mind that when you speak, what you think doesn’t always come out the way you want it to when you’re thinking.
While practicing, your brain and mouth have a better chance of connecting more efficiently and working on what you’re going to say before you say it.
This is preferable to trying to answer questions without organizing your thoughts ahead of time, which can be difficult.
4. Do not Rush
Another area on How To Ace a Job Interview is to never rush. Nerves are the most common reason for interviews to go terribly wrong.
It’s important to remember that you have the freedom to take as much time as you need to answer questions. That does not imply that you should sit there staring blankly until the situation becomes awkward.
Engage with them by responding to what they say. Add a smile to the mix. You can easily buy more time in this manner.
If their question causes you to pause for thought, tell them that it is an interesting question and that you will think about it.
5. Be Confident
Nervousness can be beneficial if it is kept under control. Keep in mind that if they didn’t believe you had potential, you would not have been given the opportunity to interview.
Create your own confidence in order to combat the anxiety that most people experience before an interview. It’s not as difficult as you might think. Knowing what you’re talking about is the quickest and most straightforward way to gain confidence.
If you’re reading this, you’ve already made a good start on your journey. Read advice websites and do your own research on the company you’re considering.
Find out what their objectives are and how your contribution would fit into them. Make notes about your previous experiences so that you don’t have to rely on long-term memory in the heat of the moment.
6. Ask Questions
Most interviews will include an opportunity for you to ask any questions you may have to the interviewers at the conclusion of the session. Make use of this opportunity to demonstrate your understanding of the company.
Choose aspects of their work that pique your interest and ask a follow-up question if their response provides an opportunity to do so. In a job interview, it is expected that you will ask questions.
However, asking questions that could cause you to lose out on the job is not a good idea.
It is not a good idea, for example, to inquire about your salary during a job interview, especially during the first stage.
If you do this, it gives the impression to your employer that you are only there for the money and are not truly interested in working for them.
The first interview should be focused on you as a potential employee, why you should be hired, and whether or not you are a good fit for the company in question. Preparation is essential.
During your interview, you could perhaps ask the following questions:
- What are the company’s objectives, and how do I see myself fitting into them?
- Is this a newly created position?
- What kind of corporate culture does this organization have?
- What type of people works here?
- Is there anything else you’d like to know about me?
- Is there room for advancement within the organization in this position? If so, what would be a reasonable timeline?
Read: Ten Windows Keyboard Shortcuts That Are Surprisingly Unique
7. Send a follow-up email
The practice of sending a thank-you email to all of the interviewers after the interviews can be beneficial when looking for employment.
A well-written, thoughtful follow-up email is a creative aspect of How To Ace a Job Interview as it leaves a lasting impression and puts you one step ahead of the candidates who did not follow up after receiving the job offer.
It demonstrates that you are still interested in the position and also provides your interviewer(s) with an idea of the type of person you are outside of the workplace.
If there were any issues that were brought up during the interview, this is also an opportunity for you to address them and explain how you intend to correct or adjust any potential negative aspects.
Don’t forget to express your appreciation for the employer’s time and assure them that you would make an excellent addition to their organization.
Sending a follow-up mail is a great approach on How To Ace a Job Interview.
8. Feedback
It’s possible that you won’t get the job. Rejection is a painful experience, but during a job search, you must learn how to turn any rejections into opportunities for advancement.
Employers are often willing to provide feedback on their employees’ performance. Concentrate on the positive aspects of your application as well as the negative aspects, getting through to the interview stage is a genuine accomplishment.
In the long run, each one will only serve to improve your overall performance until you achieve your goal.
You will be successful. Always keep this in mind. This article has detailed areas on How To Ace a Job Interview. Get started right away, and best of luck.
