Most people get nervous when it’s time for a job interview. Students, who are entering the job industry as freshers and are looking for a life-changing opportunity, need to focus on some ground rules while facing a job interview. The whole process of hiring isn’t about opting for a candidate with required skill sets; instead, it encompasses the overall personality and behavioural analysis of a person.
The interviewer always looks for perfection a candidate with the right knowledge, quality skills, discipline, presentation, positive attitude, and much more.
Some of the most important job interview tips from Fortune 500 CEOs and top hiring executives that can ensure you land the job are:
1. Do your homework well
This is very important. Just like in life, I think it’s very important to go well prepared for an interview. One of the biggest mistakes that I have often seen candidates make, is to go unprepared for the interview, thinking that it is a casual interaction and they are just going for an open conversation.
It stems from the fact that either they are not too keen on the job at the first place, or worse still, they want to explore more, but don’t have the time and inclination to research and find out more information.
Nothing puts off a prospective employer more than an unprepared or a casual candidate. Whatever your interest levels for a job are, it is very important to show the right intent.
Try and do a SWOT analysis of the organization. Find out what are they good at, not so good at and can be better at.
At senior levels, most of the interviews get decided by how well a candidate has thought on these points. Most often, the job goes to the candidate who comes the most prepared, shows the right intent, has done his homework well and asks the right questions.
The job doesn’t go to a candidate who may have the best CV and credentials but didn’t invest enough time and effort to make an impression on the prospective employer.
2. Make a crisp introduction
This is the most important point and most often decides the fate of the interview, and a point where 80% of the candidates go wrong. Everybody loves talking about themselves, but forget a simple fact, that most people are poor listeners.
A lot of interviewers will start the interview by asking for a brief introduction, but candidates would go endlessly long in introducing themselves and telling right from the time they were born to the date today, trying to take them through to each of their roles at length and end up either consuming significant amount of time, or boring the interviewer to an extent that he is praying for you to stop.
All this should ideally not take more than 1.5-2 minutes, so that it gives both sides the chance to open up the conversation and get into more details on different subjects.
3. Dress well for the interview
This is very important as well, and often enough, taken lightly by the candidates. Very often we hear comments like I will wear what I feel like, I will dress up just like I go to work every-day, or Who cares how one dresses up in today’s digital age.
Now, while for certain roles, especially in technology, this may be ok at times to dress up casually, but for most other jobs, it is important to dress well, wear your best formals and make a good impression.
For men, it is always recommended to wear a nicely tailored formal suit (basic, solid and understated colors and not one of the brighter ones please), wearing a tie is recommended but optional, depending on your comfort levels, nature of the job being interviewed for, and some idea of the person you are meeting with.
In case you know the interviewer prefers wearing a tie, one must make an attempt to wear one as well.
For women, choice between wearing western formals or Indian ethnic like a saree always exists. Wear what you feel is comfortable, and again some idea on the culture in the prospective organization can give you an idea to choose between the two.
4. Wear a smile
The most powerful and evergreen accessory to carry along for an interview is a smile. Always remember to smile, when you meet, greet and even during the course of the interview — just a little, and not a wide grin though.
It always creates a positive impression, and creates a lasting image. A person is always more than likely to remember a person who was pleasing and maintained a nice smile.
5. Ask relevant questions
Always remember to ask questions. Come prepared with a couple of questions that you would want to know from the prospective employer.
Most of the time, questions come at the end of the discussion and it gives an opportunity to make one great closing impression. This is a tricky one, and one needs to pay attention to this.
Interviewers love candidates who ask intelligent questions as it gives them a perspective on the way a person thinks.
It again boils down to how well have you prepared yourself for the interview, but nonetheless, it is always advisable to carry a few questions along and bring them at an opportune time, depending on the flow of the conversation.
Also, equally important is to keep it restricted to one or two key questions, and not barrage the interviewer with a flurry of questions. Remember, you are the one being interviewed, and not the other way around.
Courtesy: India Today
