6 Tips for a Successful Job Interview

Interview is a learning procedure in which an interviewer asks the interviewee some question to gain certain information, impression or feeling about a certain topic or matter. In a job interview, the situation is not different. When you apply for a job and are shortlisted, you will be informed that you will be interviewed for the job. This needs preparation and practice. Even the most professional and qualified job seekers have to prepare themselves for job interviews because you will either be accepted or not, no second chance. So, you need to give the best first impression in the first 30 seconds of your interview. For a successful job interview, you need to prepare yourself well before the interview, do some rehearsals to practice and most importantly to perform professionally during the interview. Take the following tips into consideration for a successful job interview.

1.Research

You are most probably going to be asked questions like “What do you know about our company’s position in its industry? What are the main factors of our company’s development in the market?” If you do not conduct a research about the industry and the company you are applying to, it will make you look indifferent about working in it. Focus your research about the industry and positon you are applying to. Research the hiring manager, most probably the interviewer. You need to understand his/her background, qualification, career and level of proficiency in the field of the job you are applying for. The more research you conduct, the more prepared you will be for the questions you are going to be asked and thus, the better you will perform. Go to the company’s website and study its vision, mission and recent reports. This will show your interviewer that you are interested and keen to work in the company. Review the job description’s main points, try to connect them with the company’s vision  and expect questions related to them. If you have a friend works in the company or does a similar work in a different company, call him/her and try to find out more about the company or the job.

2. Dress appropriately

It is important to know what to wear in an interview because your dress is usually a representative of you character. It is sometimes used to evaluate your professionalism, your level of experience and your level of competence. Your dress should be consistent with the position you are seeking as well as with the company’s culture. If you are applying for a spokesperson’s job, wear a dark conservative suit. If you are applying for a farming job, make the farmer feel comfortable when looking at you; wear as formally or as casually as is appropriate. In both cases, show them that you look good. If you are not sure about the company’s culture, call them. Ask about their dress code before you go to the interview. What is important is that you should look exactly as they wish you to be, in the most professional appearance. Plan ahead what you are going to wear and have a backup dress. Do not let yourself scramble about what to wear at the last minute. Wear clean, well-groomed, neat and ironed dress. The most appropriate dress type is the type which the interviewer wear. It is absolutely inappropriate to wear unwashed and unkempt dress. Try to avoid putting on makeup and accessories as much as you can. Trust me, you are just beautiful the way you look. Before you go to an interview, do not smoke or eat and brush your teeth so that your mouth smells good. Carry a gentle portfolio, containing copies of your resume, a piece of paper and a pen so that you can take notes when you have to.

3. Be a good listener

At the beginning of the interview, the interviewer usually gives you some major information. If you do not listen carefully to the interviewer’s direct and indirect points, you are losing a big chance for winning the job. It is also vital to give the interviewer an impression that you are a good listener, and hence a good learner. Observe and nod to what he/she says, make eye contact with him/her and most importantly utilize the piece of information you are given. Listening closely to the questions you are asked is also important. Listen effectively and actively in order to answer accurately and never interrupt your interviewer. If you did not hear the question, politely ask the interviewer to repeat it. Do not forget to use words like “please” and “thanks”.

4. Review common interview questions and practice

Reviewing expected interview questions and preparing proper answers is a key to interview success. Ask about the type of interview you will go under in order to be able to expect the type of questions you will be asked. Search online for common questions for interviews and model answers or buy a guide in which you find a database for expected questions. Read your CV and the job advert again and put yourself in the interviewer’s place. What questions would you ask yourself? There is not one model answer for each question. Prepare detailed and direct responses and highlight your accomplishments and success whenever it is possible. Your goal is to know what the interviewer wants to find in your answer. When an interviewer asks about a task or a project you did in the past, for example, be careful; it is a behavioral inquiry. He/she wants to have a general overview about your behavior in the past, so do not miss the opportunity to spot the light on your skills and prove your abilities. Try to successfully relate your response to the question. There are some interviewers tend to ask provocative questions to test the interviewee’s attitudes, so do not be easily provoked. Be prepared and respond with the most confident and comfortable manner. Just do not be an easy prey.

5. Exploit each chance you are given

An interview often starts with, “Tell me about yourself.” Make the best out of this opportunity to talk about what you want to highlight. Usually, the first 30 seconds of the interview gives the first impression which is one of the most important impacts on the person’s character and tells how the interview will proceed. This is the rightest time to give your excellent first impression and be straightforward. The interviewer will probably not be interested about the kind of dog you have or the number of brothers and sisters you have. Talk about your selling points. Respond to this type of questions with something like, “I could tell you about a lot of things, but the three things I think are the most important for you to know are [your skills, abilities, achievements, relevant experience].” Impress the interviewer, be concise and a bit short to make him curious to know more about your achievement that are relevant to the job. Then tell the interviewer that you can expand on these points if he/she would like to. The interviewer will definitely let you continue, and by this strategy you will have talked about main selling points in the first part of the interview. Prepare yourself very well for this important part of the interview. Do some rehearsals in front of a mirror and show confidence; practice makes perfect.

6. Use the right body language

Enter the interview room with a good posture and a confident smile. It gives the interviewer a good impression about your optimistic character. Give a firm handshake, make eye contact and speak clearly. Sometimes the interview rooms are small ones and lack air circulation. The interviewer might also have allergy to certain smells, so avoid wearing a perfume or cologne. The body language is very effective form of communication. Make eye contact with the interviewer while asking you and smile to him/her. Be an active listener; in addition to looking at the interviewer while asking you, nod and smile. It gives the impression that you are a good listener and a fast learner. Leave gum at home and never play with a pen. Do not fold your arms or look off the distance. Move your hands smoothly and lean forward when making a point. This might seem easy and obvious, but a lot of people cannot control their body language while thinking. Prepare and give yourself a chance to make mistakes in front of a mirror.