Prepare For Standard Questions
Lots of interviewers are going to ask you to “tell me about a time when …” followed by something appropriate for your field and this particular job. You should have great answers prepared for this. Brainstorm a list of possible questions and work on your answers. Another Inc. colleague, Jeff Haden, just listed the 27 Most Common Job Interview Questions and Answers. Definitely, review these questions before arriving at a job interview.
Best Practices For Interviews
Here are some tips for creating the best interview blog post you can write.
Before creating your list of questions, research: Find out everything you can about your interviewee. This step helps create outstanding questions and gives you an outline of your article’s look.
Create a captivating headline: Use a quote from the interview or something intriguing that came up during the interview to create a headline that hooks readers. You want something that draws not only existing readers but hopefully a new audience.
Write an intriguing introduction**:** Introduce the subject of the interview in a way that compels readers to keep reading. Include the benefit to the reader when they read your post.
Add images or videos: This breaks up the monotony of text and makes the article easier to read. For example, you can include a picture of the interview subject, a short video taken during the interview and photos that may better illustrate the issue, such as product photos or graphs.
Implement section headers: This also breaks up the text and makes it easier to read the article. Some examples: “Who is ?””How does make their mark?” and “Product Information.”
Write a compelling conclusion: Take this time to summarize the interview points together. How does it relate to your usual blog posts?
Send a first draft of the interview to the interviewee: This courtesy allows them to clarify any remarks and sign off on the interview.
Deploy Technology To Filter Your Applications To A Manageable Volume
Despite your best efforts to be honest and transparent about the types of candidates and level of skills and experience you required for a particular role, its inevitable that youll receive some applications that wont be up to scratch. If you use an online recruitment system , youll be able to use killer screening questions that will filter some of the wheat from the chaff. These might include, for example, questions about applicants right to work in the UK, ability to work certain shift patterns, or qualification levels.
You May Like: How To Schedule A Phone Interview
Explain Why Youre Interested In Interviewing With Them
After walking them through your resume, youll probably be asked why youre looking to make a job change, and/or why youre interested in their company in particular. This is where the research youve done pays off. You should already have two specific reasons for wanting to interview with their company.
When explaining your reason for job searching in general, I mentioned one example of how to turn a negative into a positive in Part I. Here are 2 more examples:
If your current company has no room for upward growth, say that youre looking for a job with more room for upward growth. If you dont like your coworkers, say youre hoping to find a team thats more collaborative. See the difference? Youre saying the same thing without sounding negative.
Whatever you say youre looking for, be prepared for them to ask why you cant get that in your current company. Just answer by saying that you dont think theres an opportunity to get this, and you considered this before starting to look externally. Simple and easy. That should end the line of questioning.
Don’t Forget The Thank You Card
It doesn’t have to be a card anymore an email will do just fine. You can get hired without one, but it’s a nice gesture to send a quick follow up email to the hiring manager and recruiter. It keeps you in their minds and shows your politeness, which brings this full circle. You begin by being nice to everyone, and you end the interview by being nice to everyone, and you increase your chances.
Don’t panic at the thought of your next interview. Prepare and in advance, and you’ll do a great job.
Get Inc.s top posts straight to your inbox. and youll receive Todays Must Reads before each day is done.
You May Like: What Questions Should I Ask For An Interview
How To Create Interview Blog Posts
The interviewee may provide much of the material, but your job as the writer is to provide your perspective on the topic. You need to use your unique writing voice to seamlessly incorporate the interview into your blog.
Writing an interview article is the same as writing any compelling blog post. Your job is to make sure it reads well and adds value. To do this, take the information from the interview and organize it in a way that makes sense with your typical structure and voice. The discussion serves as your research and your source for the information you’re sharing in the post.
Here are the basic steps to creating an interview blog post:
Choose an interviewee your audience wants to read about.
Approach and schedule the interviewee. See the next section for tips.
Create a list of questions to ask. See “Examples of questions to ask” below for tips.
Conduct the interview. See âBest Practicesâ below for suggestions.
Organize your notes and write your article.
Do Some Practice Interviews
Practice makes perfect. Whether you have your parents or friends do mock interviews or you recite different answers to common interview questions, its good to practice verbalizing your different reasons for seeking a specific position. The more familiar you are with expressing your experience and interest in the role, the better. That way not even interview jitters will get in the way of putting your best face forward at your next interview.
Also Check: What Is A Panel Interview
Consider Your Appearance And What Message You Want To Convey
Dress to impress are the words to live by when it comes to deciding what to wear in professional environments, especially a job interview. Aim for conservative and professional work clothes. Posture should be upright. Make sure to maintain eye contact with your interviewers and avoid unprofessional ticks like nail-biting.
Tips For Before The Interview
In the days before your job interview, set aside time to do the following:
1. Start by researching the company and your interviewers. Understanding key information about the company youre interviewing with can help you go into your interview with confidence. Using the companys website, social media posts and recent press releases will provide a solid understanding of the companys goals and how your background makes you a great fit. Review our Complete Guide to Researching a Company.
2. Practice your answers to common interview questions. Prepare your answer to the common question: Tell me about yourself, and why are you interested in this role with our company? The idea is to quickly communicate who you are and what value you will bring to the company and the roleits your personal elevator pitch. Review our guide to answering Top Interview Questions.
Tip: You should come prepared to discuss your salary expectations. If youre unsure what salary is appropriate to ask for, visit Indeed’s Salary Calculator for a free, personalized pay range based on your location, industry and experience.
Tips on responding to “Tell me about yourself:1. Start by discussing your current situation2. Work backwards by hitting key points along your professional journey3. Connect your background, interests and qualifications back to the job
You May Like: How To Pass A Customer Service Interview
Tip : Informational Interview
To improve interviewing skills, you can talk to someone who works at the company or in the industry of interest. You can also ask friends and family about their experiences with interviews. The informational interview allows you to expand your professional network and get a better understanding of the company. It is important that one begins by sharing they one is applying for an internship or job.
During The Job Interview
You’ve done your research, you brought copies of your resume, and you’ve prepared responses for questions that might arise based on your resume. Now the time for the interview has come, and with that comes the oft-dreaded part of interviewing: the questions.
“Candidates get nervous about job interviews because there’s the potential they’ll be asked an open-ended question that will give the interviewer a secret view into who the candidate really is,” said Rich Milgram, founder and CEO of career network Nexxt. “But the real secret is that a lot of the time the interviewer doesn’t know what the right answer is either, or they’ll admit that there is no right answer, so just relax.”
Glassdoor recently compiled a list of the most asked questions to expect in an interview:
- What are your strengths?
- Tell me how you handled a difficult situation.
- Why should we hire you?
Don’t Miss: How To Prepare For A Project Coordinator Interview
Know How To Use The Job Description
The first step in improving your interviewing skills is to know how to use the job description when preparing for an interview. The job description provides valuable information about the types of skills and characteristics the employer is looking for in a qualified candidate. It also tells you the duties and responsibilities for the position.
You can use this information to prepare mock-interview questions that are geared toward the skills and experiences the employer is looking for. You can also use it as a checklist to think about specific experiences and examples to use in your answers.
Prepare Questions For The Interviewer
At some point during your interview, usually toward the end, the interviewer will ask if you have any questions for them. You should always try to have at least a few questions prepared to ask the interviewer. However, it is important to make sure the questions you plan to ask do not have answers that can be easily found online with thorough research. You should try to ask questions about the company, the specific position you are applying for or any details you would like more information about.
Related: Interview Question: Do You Have Any Questions?
Also Check: What Questions To Ask As The Interviewer
Preparing Your Own Questions
You should also prepare a few questions of your own to ask during the interview. Not only does it give you the opportunity to gain deeper insights into the company, role, and culture, but it shows the hiring manager that you’re truly interested in the organization.
“During the interview, you should take the time to assess whether the employer is the right fit for you, not just try to prove to the employer that you’re right for the job,” Zahka said.
While the standard “What’s a typical day like here?” and “How would you describe your company culture?” are fine to ask, you can stand out from other job seekers by asking unique, insightful questions that ultimately reinforce why you’re an ideal fit for the role.
Travis Furlow, vice president of enterprise accounts at TrueBlue Inc., shared seven questions to ask during your next interview.
Confidence Not Over Confidence:
One of the most common questions asked in your interviews will be, to describe yourself. You can play this answer to your strength or to your weakness. Practice describing yourself with different tones and words, but make sure to sound confident, not cocky, as this will play as a turn off. Tell the interviewer about your key strengths, achievements, but do not emphasize on your weaknesses.
Also, only convey relevant information about yourself when asked this question. Dont become over enthusiastic and start listing down every achievement and award you have won since kindergarten. Add important terms, such as you are loyal, sincere, a hard worker, and do not forget to keep short anecdotes handy in case you are asked to elaborate on any of these traits.
How a candidate behaves in an interview shows the nature of his or her attitude. Try to keep in mind that there is a fine difference between being modest and confident and being cocky and overconfident. Being confident and having the right amount boosts your chances of getting the job, while being overconfident and rash has the opposite effect.
Read Also: How To Watch Oprah Meghan Interview
Use Engaged Body Language
Similar to the power poses, using engaged body language during the interview is going to help you answer with confidence and energy. Even if the call is just over the phone, the right posture will help you sound more friendly, open and sure of yourself.
On the flip side, slouching can cause you to feel tired and want to be done. Crossing your arms or your legs will look like you arent fully engaged and can actually cause a kind of mental block that makes it hard to really take in the information.
Pro Tip: Make sure you are sitting up straight with your shoulders back and head up. This is something you will want to practice when you are getting your spot picked out. Make sure that your computer or camera is positioned at eye level, so you dont have to lean over or duck down to get in the frame. You may need to place it on a box or stand to get it to the perfect height.
Provide Complete Information On The Role And The Company
The first thing you can do to make your candidate feel at ease is by providing complete overview of the expectations from the role and background of the company. Right from the reporting structure to the KRAs and the companys alignment, HR must provide the candidate a clear understanding of what role does the candidate play in the organisations growth and functioning.
You May Like: How Hard Are Google Interviews
Know The Location Of The Interview
As if job interviews arent nerve-wracking enough, often interviews happen in places we have never been before. This can cause a great deal of anxiety, especially if you live in a big city or are easily made nervous by driving in unfamiliar places.
To avoid becoming harried and anxious due to commuting before your interview, take some of these steps during your preparation to help put your mind at ease:
- Leave in Plenty of Time
Youd rather be early than late, so be sure to build in time to account for heavy traffic, getting lost, having to park far away, trouble locating the suite number or any other small thing that can inconveniently arise when you are least expecting it. If a travel goes smoothly, you can take the extra time to calm yourself and go over everything one more time.
- Save Your Interviews Contact Information
Sometimes, in spite of our best preparation, life still throws a curveball at the worst possible time. If something happens and you realize youre going to be late, Most people are sympathetic and understand that life happens, but be sure to give an ETA and a reasonable explanation for your tardiness.
- Look Up the Location Beforehand
Thanks to modern technology, its never been easier to look up locations on your phone or home computer. Do a little research before your interview and figure out where the building you will be interviewed in is located. If its in a large building, be sure you have the correct suite number.
Don’t Badmouth Your Former Employer
You’re most likely going to be asked why you’re looking to leave your current job . Don’t lie, but don’t be super negative either. “My boss is a huge jerk. She is nit-picky, plays favorites, and smells like tuna fish.” These things may all be true, but you don’t come out looking good. Figure out how to explain why you’re leaving, why you got fired, what you learned from it, and how this all means this new job is a great fit.
Don’t Miss: How To Pass An Interview
Use Breathing Techniques To Boost Confidence
At the heart of confidence is feeling relaxed, so breathing and mindfulness exercises are helpful, adds Wood. Staying present by focusing on your breathing just before an interview should help calm nerves, says mindfulness teacher Gelong Thubten.
Business psychologist Dr Sarah Connell, agrees: When we are anxious our blood flows away from our brains as we are in fight or flight mode, and our cognitive functions can suffer. So slow, deep breathing will bring the oxygen back to your brains and help you to think clearly.
How Are Virtual Job Interviews Different
If you are preparing for a job interview , you may be wondering how virtual interviews differ from in-person interviews.
Job interviews have always been daunting for employees of all experience levels because they include a fast first impression and could put you on the spot to prove yourself. There is an even higher chance for things to go wrong if your prospective employer wants to chat face-to-face online.
Not only do you face potential connection issues or tech problems, but it can be harder to read someone virtually. You will have to change some of the things you think about during the interview. For example, women wont have to worry about whether they should wear flats or heels, but they will have to worry about sitting in a space with adequate lighting.
You may find the format is different as well. Depending on the type of online interview you are participating in, there are some instances where you are just recording your answers instead of conversing with a live person on the other end. This can be stressful for some candidates. Just remember that being brave enough to take the plunge and show initiative during an unfamiliar interview process is already a positive step in the right direction!
Going through an online job interview for the first time can be scary, but we are here to help! Here are 15 tips to help you succeed:
Read Also: What Do I Need For Disability Interview
