Interview Success
Interview success refers to achieving the desired outcome of a job interview, which typically involves receiving a job offer or moving to the next stage of the hiring process.
The word “Interview” takes us to a new world altogether, which does not only mean sitting in front of the interviewer and confidently presenting yourself but also selling your skills and knowledge (and also experience in case you have already worked before) in the calmest and most composed manner. Interview success as a concept is like an adrenaline rush which brings with itself a lot of excitement and a ray of hope to start working (again) in a new organization, with new people from different backgrounds and taking control of your life in your hands without having to depend on anybody else. Most importantly, an improved standard of living makes you an aware and professionally intellectual person with a completely new skill set ready to unveil them in the practical world.
Instant Interview Success is not a myth. There are a lot of things that might make or break the interview you appear for.
11 Instant Interview Success Tips
The top 11 interview success tips are as follows:
1. Dress your Best for Interview Success
Your dress should be comfortable and formal and showcase sincerity and professionalism. Make sure you dress, demonstrating the best side of you that beautifully shows how prepared you are to enter the professional world and can be the face of the organization in the future. You can wear a black, grey, brown, or tailored green suit for a professional and responsible look. Remember, first impression matters. Before you speak a word, your appearance displays the type of person you are. This has nothing to do with the size, color, or race of the person appearing for the interview.
A good dressing sense shows how much a person cares about themselves and their responsible and serious personality. A formal dress should be clean and neatly ironed, making you appear sincere, crisp, and professional.
2. Do your Homework for Interview Success
Getting an interview success call or appearing for job placements organized by your college/university is not the only thing that takes you to your dream company/job. The vital part of it lies with you. Learn about the organization(s) you are going to appear for, which begins with knowing:
- the beginning and the history,
- the benchmarks set,
- the growth story,
- business line, and
- the current scenario or market position.
The information about the top management and important people in the organization can also be considered important.
3. Know the Job Description for Interview Success
Be well-informed about the position you are applying for and your role in the organization. This makes you aware of what’s coming to you in the near future and makes you sound knowledgeable and competent, thus making it a plus point. Therefore, doing a little research about what the company requires from a particular job position and what you will be required to do can give you helpful insight into your future job position.
The interviewer should also know that you are flexible and aware of a couple of other roles in the organization related to your field/specialization, thus making you a Jack of All. This proves helpful as the interviewer will have you in mind while checking out less capable interviewees, increasing your chances of selection.
4. Look Calm, Composed, and Confident for Interview Success
There might be a hurricane going inside you while sitting in front of the interviewer while they are shooting questions at you that you might not know a thing about sometimes. But you must look very calm and composed, not losing your confidence even a second. That shows your control over thought and speech and reveals your personality trait to work under pressure.
Remember, there is a thin line between confidence and over-confidence. Being authentic and confident will work wonders for you; however, over-confidence might work as a show spoiler. Be yourself and trust your instincts.
Let’s move to the other interview success tips.
5. Clarify and Ask Questions for Interview Success
Understand the question or situation, and if you think you’ve not understood it well, ask again to ensure that you got what exactly was asked. It’s always a good idea to ask it gracefully, not making you appear foolish or less knowledgeable. This adds a plus point because it displays that you are mentally present and want to answer (or at least want to be informed if you don’t know about it). This also shows your true self.
6. Listen Attentively for Interview Success
Effective Listening is key to great communication. Be attentive and listen to what the interviewer wants to know about; over- or under-answering will both work against you; hence you need to listen carefully and answer in a balanced, clear, concise, and crisp way. Using fewer but correct and concise sentences gets the interview on your side, thus adding to your advantage.
Communication is a two-way street. Thus listening is as much crucial as speaking in any communication. Listening is a wider concept that involves hearing, understanding, retaining, and responding.
7. Positive Body Language for Interview Success
Body Language plays a vital role during any face-to-face communication. Body language does half the work for you, even if you have not spoken a word yet, but expressed through gestures, posture, manners, movements, or positioning of your hands, legs, eyes, expressions, etc. For example:
- Crossed arms and legs display a closed personality that is not interested in any communication or
- Lowered eyes show that you are not confident enough to look into the interviewers’ eyes and face the situation.
Manners are also paramount in interview success, which might take you off the interview in a couple of seconds. Certain habits or activities might prove problematic for you; therefore, keeping a check on yourself is of utmost significance, like
- Chewing gum shows your casual behavior and disrespect towards the interviewer, or
- Leaning back, using a phone or looking at your watch, etc., or
- Coming to the interview just after smoking or eating food, etc.
These activities create a negative, irresponsible, and unprofessional image despite your knowledge, excellent experience, etc.
8. Smile for Interview Success
Smiling is a great way to show that you are happy to participate in this interview and will gladly join the organization. However, laughing or giggling is a big NO! Never giggle or laugh aloud or pass on a naughty smile, as this gives a negative idea to the interviewer(s). A beautiful simple smile makes the interviewer relaxed and calm in both situations, thus marking it to be a great start to the day.
Therefore, how you communicate with non-verbal communication can be a Make or Break situation. You should get in the interview with your head held high, showing respect, with a simple smile and an aura of confidence and positivity.
9. Punctuality for Interview Success
Any organization would prefer an employee who is always excited to work and is punctual rather than one who cannot manage time. Therefore, time management is again a sure shot to interview success. Reaching the interview venue before time helps you get an idea about your workplace (especially if it’s a walk-in or, in the case of a consultancy, you can always ask the hiring committee), giving you a brief about the work culture.
Being on or before time also conveys how interested you are in the job and what place this job holds in your life, again unveiling your professional behavior, thus making you stand out of the crowd.
10. Keep Necessary Documents Handy for Interview Success
Carrying all your documents is as necessary as the resume. Ensure you have all your original documents and at least 5 photocopies. The important documents include the following:
- Qualification certificates (mark sheets and degrees/provisional certificates)
- Specialization certificates (in case you have done any specialized certificate course)
- Identity and Address Proof
- Experience/ Relieving Letter from all the organizations (in case you’ve worked before)
- Last three months’ salary slips
- Ten passports and full photographs
11. Build Rapport for Interview Success
It’s always good to interview in more of a conversation style rather than a strict, formal question-and-answer session. This makes it easy for the interviewer to remember you and works wonders for making you feel a little relaxed and taking away the anxiety and fear of the interview. The interview can be turned on your side in the beginning if you take control by keeping calm and having a positive attitude.
Thus, making a light but sensible conversation and a little sense of humor, and a firm thank-you handshake at the end works like magic.
Conclusion
The most significant and difficult part is to prepare yourself mentally and psychologically for appearing in the interview. Your body language does half the job for you; therefore, you should be mentally prepared and not sound or look nervous or less confident. This does not mean you expose yourself as arrogant or over-confident. Research a couple of general questions in every interview and prepare yourself beforehand. Dress appropriately according to the type of job you are applying for rather than an uneasy ill-fit outfit so that you do not lose confidence due to consciousness. Be true to yourself and answer questions with the correct usage of words, reflecting your control over speech and thought-process.
Prepare this checklist before you appear for an interview, and you will come out with flying colors, sustaining a good respectful image in the eyes of the organization, which will enhance your confidence limits.
