Interview Tips: How to Improve Interview Performance and Get a Job

A job interview is an essential stage of an organization’s hiring process. As a candidate, you can share your work experience and skill sets with the hiring manager or recruiter while they interview you. To succeed in an interview, you should be capable of answering all the questions being asked the way they are expected to be answered by the candidate. It increases your chances of securing the desired position/getting the job.
Let us explain the purpose of an interview and discuss how you can do well in an interview and get the job.

Importance of interview performance in job searching

Even the most qualified job seekers must prepare for their job interviews, despite possessing all the essential skillsets, qualifications, and experience for the job.

Why? Interview skills should be learned, and there are no second chances to make a great first impression on the employer.

Interviews are a chance to showcase your hard and soft skills and show the company that you’re the right fit for the position. As the stakes are high, preparing for an interview action plan will not only boost your confidence but will make you aware of the questions being asked by the employer and will also help to smoothen your communication skills to ensure the employer you are meeting gets the job.

Tips on How to prepare for the Interview

Research the company and the position

Interviewers may ask you how you perceive the company’s position in its industry. Try to figure out who are the competitors, their competitive advantages, and your plans to take things up when you join the organization. Put the best answer forward by researching the company before appearing for the interview. Focus on your interview for job search, and do not waste your time to know the competitors just because you think you might stumble upon questions they might ask you. Focus and research about the company first and practise common interview questions.

Every “how to interview” book/blog lists hundreds of common interview questions So, do not wonder how to prepare for the same. Pick the list and think thoroughly about which questions you’re most likely to encounter during the interview and prepare well in advance. Practice, practice, and prepare your answers so you won’t have to fumble over them during the interview.

Dress appropriately and bring the necessary documents.

It is essential to adhere to the dress codes while appearing for an interview. Knowing what to wear for an interview and being well-groomed is also very important. If you are confused, please ask the hiring manager who has called you for the interview in advance. Your dress should depend on the company’s culture and the position you will be interviewed for. Remember to carry relevant documents along.

Plan ahead for transportation and arrival time.

Know the location you will have to drive to for the interview and reach timely. If you need to take public transport, plan accordingly and check arrival time. As the first impression of an employee is seen in their arrival time for the interview.

Tips on how to Introduce yourself in an interview

Greetings and body language

Interviewers meet people who stand or sit with their shoulders rounded and head hung forward. Interviewers can assume from such a posture that the candidate has no self-confidence. Usually, when we talk to someone and they don’t meet our eyes, it is tough to trust them. In general, it is hard to like someone who doesn’t appear pleasant. Ensure you maintain a firm body posture with a smile and talk confidently when you meet your interviewer.

Listen carefully while answering and respond thoughtfully.

When the employer asks you any questions, invest time to complete them and then take a pause to answer their question. It is one of the best job interview tips that a candidate must follow. The job seeker should listen carefully to the interviewer’s question and respond thoughtfully so as not to get stuck into follow-up questions related to their question.

Show enthusiasm for the opportunity.

As you research the company in advance, show some enthusiasm for the opportunity you have come to the company for and ask the interviewer questions that reflect the enthusiasm.

Ask questions about the company and position.

During the interview, if you are entry-level, do not start or conclude with the “please, please hire me” approach. You will appear desperate and less confident. Reflect on the three Cs during the interview: cool, calm, and confident by asking questions related to the company and position.

Show interest in the interviewer’s perspective.

Appearing for the interview with intelligent questions for the interviewer will show your interest in the position, and demonstrate your knowledge of the company and your serious intent for the job. Interviewers generally ask if you have any questions at the end of the interview and no matter what, you should have one or two ready. If you say, “No, not really,” they may conclude that you’re not interested in the job or the company or have not prepared yourself for the job.

After the Job Interview Tips

No one likes a complainer, so don’t dwell on negative experiences during an interview. Even when the interviewer asks irrelevant questions during the interview, you have the leverage to point blank. By irrelevant, we mean questions like “What did you like least about that previous job?” You do not have to answer the question in that case. You need to be vigilant in segregating what is relevant and what can be ignored. More specifically, you don’t have to answer it as it’s been asked. Instead, you may say, “Well, actually I’ve found something about all of the job roles that I’ve liked. For example, although I found [specific task] to be very tough, I liked the fact that [talk positive point about the task that you found to be tough in a positive manner] as I took it like a new challenge” or “I liked [this thing in my previous job] quite a bit. However, now I know that I really want to [get a new job with more challenges].”

Conclusion

If you’ve had a bad interview experience for a job that you truly think would be a great fit for you, don’t feel bad, and don’t give up! Follow up with the interviewer over an email or call them and let them know that you did a poor job communicating why you think this job would be a good match. Reiterate what you can do for the company if you get selected and say you’d like an opportunity to contribute. This strategy might work or not. But, if you don’t try, your chances of getting the job become zero. Do not forget to give your last shot.

While you follow the above-mentioned interview preparation tips and interview guidance, you’ll be as prepared as any candidate an interviewer has ever seen.

Good luck!