Job Interviews Are Scary!
A job interview is an chance to sell yourself as well as your skills and the purpose is always to receive an offer. And truth be told, there is just one method to alleviate the stress and improve your probability of “clinching the deal”: Be prepared.
Getting ready. Find out as much as you can about the company you’ll be interviewing with, and if possible, the person who will interview you. Online investigation is a good source for researching an organization, its products and competitors. Before the interview, also look out for newspaper articles or items. Knowledge is power and definately will equip you not only to ask relevant questions, but will reveal are genuinely interested.
Remember the ground rules. Even if you “just know” you’re the perfect candidate for that position offered, it’s highly unlikely that you’ll land the job if you don’t play by the rules:
Be punctually. That means no less than 5 to 10 minutes early, so make sure you now where you have to be and how to get there. Should you run late for any reason, call ahead and let the interviewer know, but never, ever just stay away.
Dress for the occasion. Rather dress too smart, because first impressions do count. Looking good also contributes to your confidence, so make sure your attire is neat, tidy and right for the position you’re applying for. Save that Superman for the office fancy dress party once you have landed the job.
Take deep breaths. Look calm, confident and collected, even if you’re shaking in your boots. Standing straight, holding your head high and smiling will make you appear confident and ready.
Listen up. When you are introduced to your interviewer, make sure you catch his or her name and title and throughout the interview, stay focused on listening to the questions before diving in with a response.
Stay alert! Body gestures reveals a whole lot about you, so keep these tips in mind: Sit straight and keep eye-to-eye contact with our interviewer. Try not to fidget and don’t cross your arms. Be yourself, but try to mirror (but not ape!) your interviewer’s demeanour, possible vocal tone and speaking pattern.
Now that you are off to a smooth start, let’s tackle the next challenge. answering the interviewers questions.
An interviewer’s questions are not only designed to find out what you know and can do (skills and competencies), but additionally to understand more about who you are (attitude).
Don’t rehearse a number of typical answers for typical questions and just ramble them off when you get the chance – this will do more damage than good!
Follow up your interview with a thank you letter or an e-mail. Thank the interviewer for his or her time and reiterate your interest in the position on offer.
There is no denying that an interview will be a high pressure situation, when you are prepared will help ensuring that your fears of the interview don’t ruin your chances for landing a great job.
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