Go on, smash that job interview with these tips
Dressing for the job you want may be a good place to start, but it’s going to take a bit more than that, isn’t it? That’s where this little piece comes in! Find out how to ace your job interview by reading on!
What you don’t say
It’s long been asserted by behavioral experts that approximately 93% of our communication is nonverbal and that what you do says plenty about you. As you would imagine, recruitment officers and interviewers are only too quick to cotton on to this. That’s why it’s crucial that you always put up a confident and assured front. Also, knock off any nervous or impatient tics like feet tapping or finger drumming while you’re at it. Eye-contact is another thing to look out for – don’t stare, but be sure to look the interviewers in the eye while you speak or listen to them. Besides this, leave any unnecessary tells or facial expressions at the door before you step into the premises. Moreover, be aware that some establishments routinely scrutinize waiting room cameras, so do be on your best behavior.
Pre-prepare
Be sure that all your competing candidates would have had a cursory look at the company or firm you are interviewing at, so doing the bare minimum won’t give you any edge over the competition. Now, that’s why spending a bit more time carrying out an in-depth study of the company will pay dividends. Keep the key facts of the company at the tips of your fingers, but also go through the company’s website, blogs, social media outlets, and recent press releases. All this will acquaint you with the language, ideas, concepts and direction of the company. Moreover, this knowledge can help you frame your answers and align your language and thoughts with those of the organization. If your behavior is on point, they know you walk the walk, and if you’ve crafted your answers strategically, they’ll be under no illusion whatsoever that you can talk the talk too.
Don’t knock it, mock it
The mock interview, an often shunned and disregarded measure, should be an integral component of your pre-interview preparation. Reluctance to the idea reeks of overconfidence, and you don’t want that attitude or sentiment to creep in. So, get a partner or a trusted friend or colleague to simulate the interview process. Here, you can perfect your interview technique, test out answers to expected questions, correct posture, behavior, and much more. After this, it’s unlikely that you’ll be caught on the hop at the actual interview.
Visual merchandising
No matter how you dress it up, in an interview, you are selling a product, and that product is YOU! So your appearance will most definitely play a part. That’s why you should keep a couple of ‘interview’ outfits ready to go at all times – one can be semi-casual, and the other formal and conservative. You can whip one of them out depending on the role and the organization you’re interviewing at. Find out what the office in question prefers (casual or formal) and base your decision on that. Avoid any risque faux pas, anything you feel uncomfortable in, and even garish makeup and untidy hair– stay clean, composed and confident.
