Mastering the dual art of crafting a top-notch resume and cover letter is just the first step to landing that dream job. No matter the position you are interested in, entry-level or senior, job interviewing hardly ever seems to get easier. With each job interview, you are required to dazzle the hiring manager with your elevator pitch and convince them why you are the ideal candidate for the role. And through it all you need to remain enthusiastic and upbeat during your job hunting and interview opportunities. This can be challenging if the position you are interviewing for is your dream job.
Good news is there are several ways to make job interviews less nerve-wracking. And the secret is preparing in advance! The more time you use before your meeting, the more comfortable and confident you’ll be during the whole process. Being smart about how you prepare makes all the difference. This can include:
Fundamentally, the secret to having a good interview is to project confidence, remain positive and be able to demonstrate that your qualifications and experiences are exactly what the company requires. Preparing in advance will ensure that you nail the interview by describing your relevant experiences, qualifications, and skill set that makes you the ideal new hire.
Read on to find out how to succeed in all your interviews, get multiple job offers, and land your dream job.
1. Interview tips: Before, during, and after
2. Job interview preparation
3. Tips for during the job interview
4. Tips for after the job interview
While you may look good on paper, most hiring decisions are not only based on your qualifications, skills, and experiences as indicated in your curriculum vitae but also, on how you handle yourself before, during and after an interview.
Before the actual interview date, consider doing the following activities to boost your confidence during the interview. Consider the fact that the job market is swamped with millions of qualified individuals, all trying to land a job-probably your dream job, so, it’s important to work smart.
1. Research
Do your homework by researching the company and the industry you are interested in, and be prepared for questions such as, “What do you know about this company? Alternatively, why do you want to work here? If such questions don’t come up during your interview, it is your job to illustrate what you know about the company. You can do this by including the information you know about the company in your responses.
For instance, you can say, “I noticed that you introduced digital marketing as part of your marketing strategies last month, and brand awareness has significantly improved. I am well versed in SEO, SEM and the ability to execute and analyze marketing campaigns, and highly value a company that aims to dominate the industry.
During your research ensure that you find out all the information about the company’s history, mission, values, culture, successes, and employees through their social media platforms or your contact person.
2. Review common interview questions and prepare answers
While interview questions may vary from industry to industry or position to position, hiring managers tend to recycle common interview questions, to understand who you are and the value you’ll bring to the company if given a chance.
As such review common job interview questions and practice your answers. Be specific but concise and ensure the answers you give contain quantifiable examples to back up your qualifications. Also, while answering questions focus on demonstrating the value you’ll bring to the company rather than what the company can do for you. Review the job listing and make a list of the skill set, qualification, and experience needed for the role and match these to your qualifications.
Do not memorize answers, just understand what each question requires and tailor your response to address it. Remember, while it’s important to familiarize yourself with the answers, it’s equally important to ensure that you listen and understand what the hiring manager is asking before you give your answer. Ask the interviewer for a minute or two to craft the best response, if need be.
3. Go through the job description
Reviewing the job description helps you to understand what the role needs and how your qualifications and skill set match what the company is looking for. Think about examples from previous employment opportunities, how do they align with this role? How can you use your resume to backup your interview and vice versa? All these answers will be obtained once you go through the job description, tailor your Curriculum vitae and cover letter to back up your interview.
4. Recruit somebody to help you practice answering the questions
Practicing your answers out loud with the help of a friend, relative or colleague is an effective way to prepare. This helps you to properly articulate your answers and get immediate feedback on areas you need to work on.
Be prepared for situational or behavioral interview questions. Consider using the star method to illustrate how you handled various situations in your previous employment opportunities.
5. Prepare a list of professional references
Some hiring managers may require you to submit a list of professional references before or after your interview. Preparing a list of references ahead of time is very important because it allows you to select and inform the ideal people that will advocate for you thus enhance your chances of getting employed.
6. Be prepared with quantifiable examples
Your primary goal during an interview is to sell yourself. To demonstrate how prior experiences may be worthwhile for the position, and the value you’ll bring to the company. The only way to effectively highlight your skill set is by using prior experience from projects you handled and the outcomes you achieved.
Therefore, after reviewing the job description, think about your work experience, clubs or volunteer roles that showcase your success rate and skills that are relevant to the position you are interested in. Remember, not all skills are appropriate, for instance, public speaking skills a may be important in a sales and marketing position but irrelevant to an Information and technology role.
7. Create a rapport with the recruiter/interviewer/hiring manager
While doing your research on the company, try to gather information about the hiring manager. You can do this by finding out the name of the recruiter and using it during the interview process. You can opt to call in advance to find out this information or listen keenly during introductions, and jot down the names discretely if need be.
Ultimately, creating a personal connection with the hiring manager increases your chances of being memorable, which means that you are most likely to get hired. Naturally, people tend to go for candidates who seem to fit into the company’s culture.
8. Prepare what you’ll bring to the interview in advance
With all the tension in the air, you are most likely to forget something if you are a last minute planner. Consider preparing everything you’ll need for your interview beforehand. Below is a list of what to bring to an interview:
During an interview, your main aim should be to convince the hiring manager that you are the ideal candidate for the job and demonstrate that you’ll be an asset to the company. This is the time to ensure your prior preparation bears positive results.
9. Sell, sell, and sell yourself!
Prepare to attend every interview with 3-5 selling points. Have a quantifiable example for every selling point. Illustrate that you have the right background and experience to perform the job and produce the expected results. Choose words that will highlight your competencies and avoid filler words as answer interview questions.
Choose an outfit that corresponds to the industry or field you are interviewing for. Otherwise, you’ll end up sending the wrong message and displaying that you are not a good fit for the specific company culture.
10. Dress to impress
Don’t wait until the last minute to figure out what you are going to wear or how you’ll style your hair or print extra copies of your cv or get a list of references. No! Have everything you will need including your attire before your interview. Having an interview attire ready ensures that you can be interviewed within a short notice.
If possible base your attire on the company’s culture. If you don’t know what the company culture entails, consider reaching out to one of your contacts through your networking sites such as LinkedIn. The alternative is to put on professional attire.
11. Take several copies of your resume with you
Always carry several copies of your resume, in case of panel or group interviews. Highlight specific, relevant skills and accomplishments on your copy to help you quickly refer to and elaborate on during your interview.
Also be prepared to jot down relevant information from the discussion. Refrain from using any electronic devices. Jot down any contact information that may be mentioned during the interview so that you can use it to reach out in case of anything concerning the job.
12. Be on time
Plan your schedule ahead of time, map out your route to the location of the interview, especially if you are unfamiliar with the area, identify back up plans in case of delays or interruptions with your means of transportation. Also, take into account the scheduled time for your interview and adjust for local traffic patterns in the area during the time. Always arrive at least 15-30 minutes early. Give yourself the extra time to calm your nerves, visit the restroom, check your outfit or go through something that you feel you haven’t grasped.
13. Ensure your first impression counts
First impressions make all the difference. Be keen on details, little things such as clean nails, shined shoes, tidiness, and neatness of your clothes. Ensure you exude confidence, a positive body language, and smile during the whole process.
14. Try to remain calm and positive
During the interview, try to stay calm and as relaxed as possible. Remember, your body language says as much as your responses to interview questions. Proper preparation will enable you to project confidence.
As you tackle the interview questions, ensure you maintain eye contact with the hiring manager. Practice active listening to ensure you’ve paid attention to the questions being asked and eliminate the possibility of forgetting the question. Ensure you answer the question that you’ve been asked. Refrain from interjecting the interviewer, especially when he or she is asking questions. If you need some time to think about your answers, that’s completely okay, and is a better alternative to using filler words such as “ums” or “uhs.”
15. Maintain professionalism
Being professional means exuding the right body language, practicing good manners and most importantly, treating everyone you encounter with utmost respect-this includes the security staff, front office staff and the people you meet in the hallways or parking lot.
Project an accessible body language and confidence from the minute you step foot into the company’s premises. Before the interview, take deep breaths and exhale slowly to calm your nerves, sit or stand tall with your shoulders back. Wait for the interviewer to extend their hand out for a handshake, maintain eye contact, and smile. Have a firm handshake.
16. Remain focused
Consider the fact that numerous candidates applied for the same role you are interested in, meaning that the recruiter has limited time with you. Spend this time wisely and avoid rumbling about unnecessary things. Having practiced your answers beforehand will help you stick to the objective.
Ensure you tie your answers to your skills and accomplishments, and how they will add value to the company when answering any question. Provide concrete examples whenever necessary. Also, use every opportunity to highlight the requirements of the role and how they match your skills.
Refrain from lying. It may be tempting to decorate your skills or accomplishments, but interviewers see right through this. Focus on reiterating your strengths and why your experience makes you an excellent fit for the company.
Additionally, do NOT talk negatively about your former colleagues or employers. Focus on the positives aspects such as growth, development and skill enhancement that you achieved from your previous role.
17. Ask insightful questions
When your chance to ask question comes, ensure that you ask the right questions. Ask the recruiter, hiring manager or employer what to expect next? Additionally, have a list of your questions to ask the hiring manager. In all interviews, it’s almost a guarantee that you’ll be asked if you have any questions for the recruiter. It’s essential to have at least 3-5 questions ready to showcase your interest in the company. Also, this is an excellent opportunity to ask for clarification about matters or points the interviewer may have mentioned during the interview, and you did not understand. Examples of these questions include:
Consider this as an “after-sales service,” you already gave your elevator pitch and nailed the interview. Now, how about giving yourself the best chance and ensure that your application moves on to the next step of the hiring process?
18. Document contact information and the next step of the process
Once your interview concludes ask the interviewer about the following steps. Will they be contacting you after a week or two? When will they be making their final decision? Do they notify all candidates who applied for the role or just the successful ones?
All this information is essential since they help you know what to expect and determine the appropriate time to follow-up.
19. Follow-up
Send a personalized thank you message after the interview. If there were several interviewers ensure that you send personalized letters to each one. Before leaving the interview room ensure you ask for their business cards to make it easy to craft your personalized thank you notes.
If your interview was in the morning ensure you send a follow-up message within the same day, alternatively within 24 hours since your meeting. Make sure that each email is different from the other, refrain from sending a generic message to all the people who interviewed you.
20. Remember there’s always a next time
Sometimes things don’t work out the way we want, especially with interviews. Even if you don’t land your dream job despite putting all your effort in preparing, and interview jitters get the best of you, remember, you can always do better in the next one. Alternatively, consider reaching out to the interviewer some time in the future and let them know how you’ll be a great addition to their team. If a decision about the new hire has already been made, use this opportunity to request for feedback from the hiring manager on areas you need to work on. Doing this will allow you to be aware of the areas you need to improve so you can ace your next interview.
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