How To Start Off An Interview

Highlight Impressive Experience And Accomplishments

As you tell your career story, explain key accomplishments youve achieved, work youve done, skills youve learned, and key career moves youve made.

Were you promoted? Thats always a great sign and worth mentioning.

Did you accomplish something significant like solving a big problem for your last employer? Thats great to mention, too.

Did you build new skills or overcome challenges? Get specific! Tell details.

But random impressive facts arent enough. You should be thinking about how this ties in with the company youre talking to.

You should always research the company before going into the interview. Study their job description in particular so you know what skills THEY care most about.

What does this particular job involve? Is there a lot of leadership? Talk about your experiences leading , how it went, what you learned.

Does the job involve a high level of technical skill? Talk about how you learned and advanced in that area through each step of your career!

You need to tailor your answer for, tell me about yourself, for their job description and their needs. Try to talk about experiences and qualifications that are relevant for this job youve applied for.

Experiment With A Different Interview Format

Unstructured interviews that flow like friendly conversations make the process pleasant for both candidates and interviewers. But, they arent the most effective way to hire the best candidate.

Structured interviews are better predictors of job performance, more legally defensible and better for record-keeping. During structured interviews, you ask the same questions to all candidates in a specific order and score them with a predetermined rating scale. Your Applicant Tracking System may have built-in checklists or interview scorecards to help you rate candidates this way.

Related: The pros & cons of interview scorecards

What Is A Job Interview

A job interview is a professional meeting between a prospective employee and an organization, company, or business to ask questions about someones qualifications, education, background, and experience. Its an essential part of the hiring process and allows you to understand the content within a candidates cover letter and resume better. Job interviews can take place in person, over the phone, or by video, and depending on the role, you might give one interview or multiple rounds of interviews per candidate.

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Get The Interviewer’s Contact Information

You also want to make sure you get the interviewer’s contact information at the end of the interview. Ask for their direct email address and a work phone number if you feel it is necessary. This is important for when you send a follow-up email after the interview and in case you have additional questions after leaving.

Answer The Call In A Professional Manner And Introduce Yourself

To make sure you sound professional when answering the phone for your interview, start out by stating your name in an upbeat tone, and when the interviewer states who they are, confirm that you were anticipating their call. This way, the interviewer will know who you are and that they reached the correct individual. Additionally, check that your voicemail greeting is professional and clear in case you are unable to answer the phone.

Example:”Hello, this is Gemma Rutherford. I’ve been looking forward to speaking with you, Ms. Anderson.”

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Determine How You Will Rate Each Candidate

Creating and using a rating system for the candidates you interview is the final important step in conducting effective interviews. You should take notes during the interview process and decide on a set rating system to rate each person. You may decide on a certain rating system for each skill you are looking for or give each candidate an overall rating. The important thing is to stay consistent and use the same system for every candidate.

Be Clear About What The Job Will Require And What You Are Looking For

Another important aspect of a successful interview is being clear about what you are looking for in a candidate as well as what the job will entail. Even if the job posting was specific and descriptive, it’s still imperative that you review this information with the candidate and ensure they have a good understanding of what you expect. This can give the candidate an opportunity to make sure the job is right for them as well as verify that they possess the skills and experience needed to be successful in the position.

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Listen Attentively To The Interviewer

As you get into the conversation, listen attentively to the interviewer as they explain the job details and ask you questions. Avoid interrupting the interviewer when they are speaking, and if you think of something you want to say, write it down for further discussion when it is your turn to speak. Additionally, practicing active listening can ensure you avoid miscommunications or a misunderstanding of something the interviewer discusses with you.

Build Off Of Your Conversation

You also want to pick up on whats happened in the interview so far. Ask questions that build off of what you and the interviewer have discussed. You might want to follow up on a project they mentioned youd be working on, or a responsibility that you didnt see in the job description. The key is to make this portion of the interview feel like a continuation of the conversation.

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Remember The Interview Starts As Soon As You Leave The House

The interview starts long before you shake hands and sit down around the table. You never know who you might bump into as you get off your bus or train , or enter the companys building for all you know, your interviewer could be in the same coffee-bar queue as you. So make sure you project a friendly, confident, professional air from the moment you set off.

Doubtless youll have made sure you arrive early. Give yourself time to have a comfort break and make sure youre hydrated. Make conversation with the receptionist, switch off your phone and take in your surroundings you might notice something that will make a useful small-talk topic later. Dont try and cram in any last-minute facts you want to come across as calm and organised, not flustered and under-prepared.

The Best Question To Ask In The Job Interview

You want to know if your values are valuable. If your past has passed inspection. If your conversation has provided a solution. Right? So, how can you know if they are picking up what you are laying down? One of the most frustrating things is to come back from a job interview, and your partner or boyfriend or mom or best friend says, So, how did it go? and you fumble for a solid answer. I…I think it went well…I guess…I answered all their questions…uh….wow, Im not sure how it went really.

Because you dont know where you stand. You share, you explore, you expound on your background…but what did you do to build rapport? To get the interviewer talking? To show that you are sincerely curious about what they want, and need?

Its an easy trap to fall into: the idea that your CV speaks for itself. That your experience tells its own story. But of course it never does. If you say something but they dont hear it, it doesnt exist! Character counts, in large amounts. Did you demonstrate who you are and what you value – and get the interviewer talking as well? In the interview, are you demonstrating and describing stories about your personal integrity, your understanding of words like commitment, teamwork and collaboration?

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What To Say When You Arrive At The Interview

Be prepared to make a quick introduction to the person who greets you. When you arrive at the interview site, introduce yourself to the receptionist by stating your name and the reason for your visit.

For example:

• My name is Tim Jones, and I have an interview scheduled with John Smith at 2 p.m.
• I’m Janine Bellows, and I have an appointment with Jack Clark at 10 a.m.

Be courteous and respectful to this first contact at the company. Many hiring managers will ask the receptionist for his or her impression of a candidate. If you act rudely or dismissively, you could put yourself out of the running for the job before you even meet with the hiring manager.

Why Are Interviews Important

A job interview is important for a number of reasons, as it can benefit both the hiring manager and the company as well as the potential candidate being interviewed. Interviewing candidates ensures you are hiring only the most qualified individuals for the open position. Without an effective interview process, you may end up hiring a person who is not the right fit for the company, the position or both.

Additional benefits of the job interview process include:

• It allows both parties to learn more about each other and determine the suitability of the job for the candidate.

• It enables the hiring manager to ask the interviewee important questions pertaining to their qualifications, skills and experience levels.

• It gives the interviewer a chance to ask more in-depth questions that the candidate’s application did not answer.

• It can prevent a company from wasting time and money on a candidate who is not the right fit for a position.

Most job positions require at least one interview, while some companies will ask candidates to go through multiple interviews before a selection is made. Regardless of the position, nearly all organizations can benefit from conducting interviews to fill open jobs.

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Benefits Of Informational Interviewing

• Get firsthand, relevant information about the realities of working within a particular field, industry or position.
• Find out about career paths you did not know existed.
• Get tips and insider knowledge about how to prepare for and land your first career position.
• Learn what its like to work at a specific organization.
• Initiate a professional relationship and expand your network of contacts in a specific career field meet people who may forward job leads to you in the future.

Useful Expressions To Built Rapport With Your Interviewer

If youve done any research on successful interviewing, by now you probably have a good idea of what not to say in an interview. But, what you should say might not be so obvious. It can be hard to know how to make a persuasive case for an employer to hire you.

Its also easy to get caught up in practicing interview questions and answers and completely forget to review the basic ideas you should express in order to make a great first impression on your interviewer. Remember that an interview isnt a test or at least, it isnt only a test. Its also a conversation and a chance to discover whether youll be a good fit for the role.

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Be Concise When Answering

When they say tell me about yourself, its going to be tempting to give a long-winded answer. Its such an open-ended question.

And we covered a lot above, but theres something just as important as any of that. You need to be concise.

Your communication and ability to stay on track with your answer is something they are watching closely.

The interviewer wants to see that you can tell your story from Point A to Point B without getting sidetracked, distracted or scattered.

Because it tells them how youll communicate as an employee when theres a problem, when theres a disagreement, or when you simply need to share your knowledge or opinion.

If you take this answer beyond 2 minutes you are shooting yourself in the foot. In fact, below 90 seconds is ideal. Practice at home with a timer!

Thats why I recommend choosing a starting point based on your experience because if you have 25 years of experience and you start at the moment you graduated from college, your answer will be too long.

Ask The Employer Questions

At the end of a graduate job interview, an employer will always ask “Do you have any questions for me?”

Your answer should always be yes and you should always ask at least three questions.

Some good questions to keep in your back pocket include:

• What are the next steps?
• Whats your most and least favourite part of your job
• Whats your company culture like?.

As a general rule, avoid asking basic questions like Can I wear what I want to work?, What does your company do? and How long until Im promoted?.

Top tips for interview success, especially in a face to face interview, is to show you are engaged and interested asking the employer interview questions is a great way to demonstrate this.

Read the full guide to answering the question ‘Do you have any questions for me?‘ here.

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Get Prepared For Your Phone Interview

Even though you are not meeting in person, it can still be crucial to get prepared for the phone interview as you would an in-person interview. Research the company you applied to ahead of time, practice how you will greet the interviewer and how you will answer the interviewer’s questions, and keep your resume nearby during your interview for quick reference. Also, it’s a good idea to write down their name in your notes to keep as a reference throughout your interview.

Additionally, write down some questions that you plan to ask the interviewer during the phone call. For instance, write down any questions you have about job duties, required credentials or any other information you would like to know more about.

Key Sentences To Introduce Yourself At A Job Interview In English

First impressions are always very important, and for a job interview its no different! These are different sentences you can use to introduce yourself at a job interview in English:

• 1. Good morning/afternoon. My name is ______ and I want to thank you for this opportunity.
• 2. Hello! My name is _______ and its a pleasure for me to be here.
• 3. Good morning/afternoon. Im _______ and I want to thank you for taking me into consideration for this position.
• 4. Hello! My name is _______ and Im glad you called me because I really want to work for this company.
• 5. Hi! My name is ________ and Im here because I think I have the profile youre looking for.
• 6. Hello! My name is _______ and first of all I want to congratulate you for making this company capable of offering a top quality service!

If you want to say something positive about the company or about the position youve applied for then this is the perfect time.

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How To Be A Good Interviewer

November 1, 2010Jarie Bolander

Interviewing job candidates is a fine art. Within the span of a couple of hours, you need to make up your mind as to whether the interviewee is the right person for the job. Making that decision requires not only asking the right questions but also enabling the candidate to answer them. If you want the candidate to eventually take your companies offer, you need to sell the candidate not only on the position but on the company In some sense, the candidate is also interviewing the company to ensure that its the right place for them.

What Is A Face To Face Interview

Face to face interviews, sometimes abbreviated to ‘F2F interview’, or ‘face-to-face interview’ or just ‘face-to-face’, is usually the final stage in the job interview process.

This is an in-person interview that will often follow a successful telephone interview.

In a face to face interview, you could be speaking with the Hiring Manager, CEO, MD, or the person who might be your Line Manager.

Often, when you interview face to face, it will be more than one person who interviews you in a graduate job interview it’s often the team leader, and the Hiring Manager.

Though sometimes there might be a presentation involved, usually a F2F interview means running through your graduate CV, discussing your skills and experience, and finding out more about your interest in the role.

If you’ve reached the face to face interview stage, this means you’re on track for success so here are 6 top tips for interview success at the face to face interview stage.

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Confirm The Details Of Your Interview

Before a phone interview can take place, make sure you confirm all the details of the interview with the organization. For instance, confirm the date and time that the interviewer plans to call you so you can be prepared ahead of time. Confirming the details of your phone interview also ensures that all professionals involved are aware of the schedule.

How To Introduce Yourself

Here are seven easy steps to introduce yourself to your interviewer and leave a great impression:

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What Are The Benefits Of Interviews

Holding interviews allows you to get a full sense of what the candidate is actually like. In face-to-face interviews, you can get a better impression of the candidate’s personality, behavior, and poise in the context of discussing business and the type of work the candidate needs to be able to perform.