7 Essential Job Interview Tips

With the tough competition nowadays, a job interview invitation doesn’t come as often as you need or want. Thus when you get one, make sure you put your best foot forward to impress the interviewer. Learn to answer questions properly and use your body gestures to ace the interview and land your target job.

Be Enthusiastic!

While your skills and solid experience will surely take you to greater career heights, a large dose of enthusiasm will most likely seal the deal. Take note, however, that boasting and storytelling are completely two different things.

One of the best ways to illustrate your eagerness without coming across as a desperate candidate is to prepare your arsenal of true stories highlighting your accomplishments, skills, and strengths. Describe a situation where you used your knowledge, skills and abilities, and let the interviewer draw conclusions from it.

Learn About the Organization’s Culture

Go ahead and look up everything there is to know about the organization you’re after. Know their culture by watching available online videos and asking those who work for the company. If the organization’s culture is different from what you were used to, you do not have to exactly follow such social norms. It is, however, important to be aware of an organization’s culture so you can come up with strategies which could further help you ace an interview.

Fake It ’til You Make It

A job interview basically measures two things: how fit you are for the job and how confident you are. While nervousness and a bit of anxiety are quite natural during interviews, projecting self-confidence is an excellent way for you to show your potential employer that you are right for the job.

In order to feel confident during your job interview, read your resume and cover letter beforehand. If you know every information you include in the document, you don’t have to worry about anything. If you’re still not fully confident, you might as well fake it until you make it.

Let Your Body to Do the Talking

Your body language is a huge factor to consider when you want to ace interviews. Maintain good posture, have good eye contact, and smile. No one wants to interview someone who slouches with a stone cold expression. Lastly, a firm handshake to complement your genuine your smile will certainly propel you to landing your dream job.

Spin the Interview Into a Conversation

Turning the interview into a conversation between two professionals is a huge plus. You can achieve this by asking the right questions and supporting it with your stories as mentioned above.

Take Your Portfolio with You

If the job you’re after requires you to show off work samples, then take your portfolio with you by all means. Several recruiters allow candidates to do a quick presentation of their work during the interview. By making an effort to come up with a presentation, it shows that you are a step ahead of the other candidates.

Involve Everyone

This is applicable if you are about to go on a group interview. While the other candidates are your competitors, involving everyone could actually help you get a spot for a one-on-one interview. Apart from standing out from the rest of the group, you get to appear as a natural leader by addressing other candidates during an interview. Address people by their name and try to ask them about their thoughts and ideas.

While a comprehensive resume and cover letter could take you to an interview, the interview itself is the deal breaker. For more information on how to ace a job interview, download this free comprehensive guide which provides more detailed strategies to do better in your next round of interviews.