Careers are made or broken by interviews. Very often, the opportunity that you will be looking for will present itself in the form of a job interview. Succeeding in the job interview is vital for the furtherance of a career. Basic interview tips help not only in job interviews but also in any interview that a person may face later in their life.
However, below, we look at a few job-application specific tips which you may find helpful:
- Research: When you get the offer for an interview, make sure you research the firm offering you the interview thoroughly. Researching about the firm can point you towards questions which they may ask you during the course of the interview. Hence, make sure that you are up to date with the interviewer’s financial data as well as policies. The interviewer will be impressed that you would have done your ground-work.
- Practice: This tip may sound sophomoric but it has great consequences. Stand in front of the mirror and practice talking. Make a list of possible questions and try and answer them. This will help you in two ways. Firstly, you will be more comfortable answering questions. Secondly, you will have skeletal layouts of answers which will help you sound spontaneous.
- Dressing Up: How you look does not matter but the clothes you wear do. Make sure you turn up for your interview in a manner conforming to the dress code of the office. If you are unsure about the dress code, you can always ask the office beforehand. Small details such as pressed shirts and polished shoes matter when you’re trying to make a decent impression.
- Keep Calm: The interviewer may ask you a question which may leave you stumped and left trying to regain your composure. It is important in these situations to keep calm and think clearly. If you are unsure of what to say, pause. Gather your thoughts and then reply. Do not take too long. If the interviewer asks a particularly difficult question, understand that the right answer is not as important as ingenious and creative methods of thought. Keep calm and be creative.
- Interact: Do not sit there and simply reply to questions that the interviewer asks you. Converse with the interviewer. Ask him about the company’s long term plans and interests and how they foresee their own futures. It will help you gain an understanding of the company that you working as well as tell the interviewer that you are someone who is meek or shy and that you can take control as well.
An interview is sometimes made purposely stressful to place the candidate in an uncomfortable position. The idea is that the candidate should be adept at working and thinking outside his comfort zone. Interviewers do this by placing the candidate in front of a panel of multiple interviewers, ask brain teasers or seemingly impossible questions or select a line of questioning which may be difficult for the interviewees.
Regardless of the tactics of the interviewer, all you are required to do is stay calm and answer questions in as clear a fashion as you can manage. If there is a panel of interviewers in front of you, do not be intimidated by them. Look at each interviewer in the eye when you speak to them. If you find yourself staggering for thoughts and words, pause and refresh your mind.
Once you do these things, you will realize that there is not a lot to an interview which should place you under undue stress. Prepare yourself, relax and enjoy yourself.
About The Author:
Jonathan West is a career counselor who also works as a freelance writer. Jonathan’s vast experience in the field of career counseling has helped provide sound advice for potential candidates and job seekers for over twenty years. Contact him for any advice regarding interviews and career tips. To know about top lawsuit companies, click here.
Be the first to comment