10 Tips to a successful Interview

10 Interview tips

Getting a job in the tough market condition is one of the many challenges that job seekers face. And if an interview comes along, that is almost god send. Here are 10 tips to be successful at your next interview:

10. Get the interview first

Before you can be successful, you need to get that interview call! Congratulations if you have secured an interview call. This means that you have been able to impress the recruiter with your resume. If you have a killer resume, make sure that it reaches the right people at your target companies.

9. Prepare for the interview well in advance

You may be the best in what you do or know. However, a thorough preparation prior to the interview will make the interviewee feel confident that you have taken the interview seriously and are prepared. HR experts mostly complain the fact that the candidates most of the time are unprepared to even answer certain basic questions. There may be 10 or more other candidates for the role. You need to be the best among them!

8. Make a Good First Impression

The saying “First Impression is the Best Impression” is very apt. In the first 20 seconds of meeting you the interview panel has decided subconsciously about you! This comes straight from a research. Make a firm hand shake, smile at least 3 times, maintain good eye contact. Dress to the occasion! Be smart.

7. Answer questions

This is what you have come for-To answer the questions posed by the panel! There may be easy questions (upto you!) and there may be tough ones that require certain kind of analytical thinking. Answer confidently to the questions asked. Clarify certain things that you do not know. If you are not certain of any answers, mention that you do not know the answers rather than providing wrong answers! Remember, the interview panel is there to select a candidate who is most suitable and has a right attitude. So help them select you!

6. Ask questions

In all cases, the interview panel will provide you an opportunity to ask questions. Don’t miss this GOLDEN Opportunity to shine and further impress the interview panel! Ask some questions regarding the job, the responsibilities that are expected from the employees and so on. This will provide a much need relief to the panel about you being an analytical person. However, this is not the time to negotiate salaries. That should be done in case you are offered the job and that too with the HR.

5. Highlight your good qualities

Being humble won’t make you good at the interview. Boast a bit about your past accomplishments, achievements to the panel at the right chance. This may be one of the opportunities you get to showcase you talents.

4. Skip the negative pitfalls

Knowing what to say and what to avoid is a good quality. Interview panel is looking for those subtle body language hints that might throw away the clue that you are nervous. In one of the interviews that I attended when I was just out of college, I was very nervous. But interviewer was good enough to comfort me.(I did get this job; though purely on my academic qualification!). You may not get a second chance. So be careful about those negative pitfalls.

3. What to do when interview does not go your way?

Sometimes, however hard you may try, the things may not go your way. However, keep calm. If you think the interview was a disaster all the way, you can always request another interview with the company mentioning the problems you had.

2. Follow up

This is one thing that most do not practise here in the UAE. Once you are gone, take a day’s time and email or call the HR to get a feedback of the interview. This will make them have you on the top of the mind. Send a note of Thank you to the interviewers and express your eagerness to work with the team. If you are called for the follow up interview, nail it too!

1. If you do not get hired, find out why not?!

You may not be a winner every time. If you could not make it through the selection process, make sure to get a feedback on your interview to improve yourself. Make an analysis yourself, be your own critique. Analyse why you could not make it. And the learning can be applied in your next interview!

 Reference:Lifehacker.com