How To Make A Good Impression At A Job Interview
The most important part of a job interview is the beginning. Thats when you have an opportunity to make a great impressionor a poor oneon your interviewer. In one study, more than 30% of hiring managers decided whether to hire a candidate during the first five minutes of a job interview.
Even if you encounter one of the 70% of hiring managers who take more time than that, its still important to set a good tone during the first minutes of a job interview. Keep it up through the rest of the conversation, so you have a good shot at getting a second interview and a job offer.
Real Examples Of Job Interview Questions To Ask Employers
Here are 10 of the best power questions to ask an employer during an interview:
10 Questions You Probably Shouldnt Ask In A Job Interview
When asked if you have questions for the employer, focus on power questions like the examples above.
Try to avoid asking questions about pay, benefits, or time off.
This is especially important if this is the first job interview you are having with the employer or hiring manager. This meeting creates their first impression of you as a potential employee.
List of 10 questions to avoid:
Can You Show Me Examples Of Projects I’d Be Working On
“You should definitely ask about the actual pieces of work youll be getting your hands dirty with,” said Jacques Buffett, a career expert with Zety. “This shows a keen interest in the specifics of the role, which will be sure to help impress the employer.”
In addition to impressing the interviewer, it can also give you valuable insights into the role that you may not be able to get from a job description alone.
“By asking about examples of projects, youre getting a fuller picture of the work youll be doing on a day-to-day basis,” Buffett said. “It might confirm that this is indeed your dream job, or it might just tell you that this isnt the job for you. And if you have multiple rounds of interviews, itll help show you what sort of professional achievements you should bear in mind when discussing your abilities.”
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Showcase Your Verbal Communication Skills
Its one thing having good written communication skills, or being good at putting an impactful slide deck together, but all of this will go to waste without a strong delivery. Being able to communicate clearly and in a verbally engaging way is important, and your interviewer will be assessing your face-to-face communication skills throughout your interview presentation.
In practising and getting into the right mindset before your presentation, you can communicate with conviction and engage the people in front of you.
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Wow Your Job Interviewer By Asking These 10 Questions
At the end of a job interview, it’s likely your interviewer will ask you if you have any questions for them — and if you don’t ask anything, this could be seen as a sign of disinterest. It’s important to remember that this is still part of the interview, so you should use it as an opportunity to show a genuine interest in the role, the team and the organization by asking the right kinds of questions.
Read: 25 Tried-and-True Jobs That Will Last Through Any Recession
A smart job candidate will have these questions prepared in advance, but knowing exactly what to ask can be tricky. So Zety, a resume builder and career blog, asked over 500 hiring professionals what questions they expect to be asked by candidates — and found that these are the top 10 questions you should be asking.
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A Note On Video Conferencing
Skype and its equivalents have become more popular in the interviewing process. This adds a little more complexity. I recommend practicing with a friend before the interview. You need to get used to looking at your camera so youre looking at your interviewer. You should look professional, but dont put on a suit/tie.
More from Jeff about job interviews: his free ebook Successful Job Interviewing: What Job Candidates Need to Know and his articles listed below.
What Are The Skills And Experience Youre Looking For In An Ideal Candidate
“This proves you really want to drill down and discover whats needed to succeed in the role,” Buffett said.
He recommends asking this during a formal interview, rather than during an initial phone screening.
“Asking it before a formal interview will probably sound a little like youre trying to cheat,” Buffett said. “But ask it to close off a formal interview and youll be showing that interest, getting the interviewer to open up a little, and discovering even more about what you might expect from the job.”
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Whats New About Job Interviews Today
In a memorable scene from TVs The Office, David Wallace is interviewing Michael Scott. Asked to name his biggest weakness as a manager, Michael deadpans, I work too hard. I care too much.
Of course, for better or worse, we dont all share Michaels exuberantly clueless bravado. So going into your next job interview, it might help to know what the expectations are ahead of time. For example, what questions are you likely to be asked and how should you respond?
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What Should You Do To Ace An Interview
To increase the chances of having a successful job interview, take the time to prepare before meeting with the hiring team. Think about the topics you are likely to discuss, ways to position yourself as a strong candidate and opportunities to make a positive impression on the hiring team. Include the following in your job interview preparations:
- Research: Learn as much as you can about the company and the position.
- Planning: Carefully consider what to wear and how to present yourself professionally.
- Practice: Reflect on the most effective ways to discuss common interview subjects.
Why Is It Important To Make A Good Impression During An Interview
It’s important to understand how to impress your interviewer because they only have a short amount of time to form an opinion about you. Your first impressionthe 20 or 30 seconds at the beginning of the interview when you walk into the room, greet the hiring manager and sit downis especially crucial. You cannot redo a first impression. It establishes the tone and direction of the rest of the conversation and can influence the result of the interview.
Related: The Complete Guide To Researching a Company
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Extra Copy Of Your Resume:
We understand that this is an era of digitalization and you have a soft copy of your resume however, in the room you might find more than one interviewer. They might need your resume in hand.
Such situations are difficult to tackle if you dont have an extra copy. Therefore, in order to avoid such odd situations keep an extra copy of your resume handy.
Can You Tell Me About Yourself
Interviewers often start with this question to learn about your background. When you answer, try beginning by mentioning where you are now before briefly explaining how you advanced to your current position. By taking this tactic, you can establish your professional history and emphasize the most important aspects.
Example: Currently, I am a junior personal trainer, and I have 25 recurring clients. In my three years as a fitness instructor, I have earned certifications in yoga and pilates, allowing me to specialize in these rapidly growing areas. Because I maintain a full client roster, I have also taken online sales courses. As a fitness enthusiast, I am also highly self-motivated and driven to share my excitement for health and well-being with my clients.
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Tip : Use Props To Stand Out In A Virtual Interview
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Look sharp on camera and speak sharply with succinct answers
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Create a presentation or infographic to share during the interview
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Use notes and post-it notes to keep important names and thoughts close-to-hand
The final part of your interview preparation lies in finding ways to stand out during the interview itself. Again, there are many new opportunities to be found that you might not find with an in-person interview.
Brennan says, âAlways remember the panel interviewing you really hope you will perform well.â
âAnd as much as the thought of a remote interview may be anxiety-provoking as you are on the clock, so to speak â you should change your mindset to relish the opportunity.â
So, what does it mean to stand out?
It starts with excellent prep work: âLooking sharp and professional on camera is important â but you have to have your content equally sharp and professional during the Teams/Zoom call,â Brennan says.
In practical terms, this means keeping your answers succinct HR professionals want short, punchy answers rather than long-winded ones.
Although speaking in sound bites sounds easier said than done in an interview, itâs actually where remote interviews benefit you.
How To Impress In A Tough Job Interview
It can be easy to lose your nerve when faced with difficult interviewers. But there are steps you can take to win them over and land the job
Even if youve prepared thoroughly, a tough interviewer can really knock your confidence and have you doubting your abilities.
So when youre faced with a barrage of difficult questions from a seemingly stone-faced interviewer, there are several steps you can take to ensure that your skills and experiences shine through.
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Basic Knowledge Of Computer And Internet:
You are definitely not expected to be a computer engineer unless and until your job description demands it.
However the basic knowledge of computer, which would be MS office, notepad and so on must be known to you.
With the world revolving around social media and digital marketing, not knowing basic functioning of internet might question upon your capability. Therefore, arm yourself with basic knowledge of working on a computer and dealing with internet.
Have A Think About Remote Work
A big change in interview questions relates to questions related specifically to remote work both as a preference and as a skill.
Kirk says he sees candidates face questions related to:
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Your ability to onboard and work individually
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Your attention span and productivity remotely
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How you learn new knowledge
Griffin has seen questions like:
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What challenges have you faced in remote working?
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What challenges do you see this industry facing because of remote working?
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Do you have any ideas on how we can improve remote working?
You may also find it helpful to think about your personality and skills. John Evoy, general manager at Grow Remote, says companies offering remote work, in particular, look for personality. âItâs your capacity to almost over communicate you need to be willing to go out and ask questions that someone would otherwise hand you the answers to in an office setting,â Devoy says.
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Questions About Your Success In The Position
5. What are you hoping this person will accomplish in their first six months and in their first year?
This query can give you a sense of what kind of learning curve youre supposed to meet and the pace of the team and organization. If youre expected to have major achievements under your belt after only a few months, that tells you that they likely wont give you a lot of ramp-up time. Which might be fine if youre coming in with a lot of experience, but it might be worrisome otherwise. On the flip side, if youre someone who likes to jump right in and start getting things done, you might not be thrilled to hear that most of your first six months will be spent in training.
This question can also draw out information about key projects that you wouldnt otherwise have heard about.
6. Thinking back to people youve seen do this work previously, what differentiated the ones who were good from the ones who were really great at it?
Plus, the answer to this question can give you much more nuanced insight into what itll take to truly excel in the job and whatever the answer is, you can think about whether or not its something youre likely able to do.
What Will My Interview Be Like
Your interview will probably be something called competency based. That means the interviewer will ask you questions about your experience and skills.
Worried about answering those questions? Thats normal!
But knowing how youre going to answer them will take that worry away. And the best way to do that is by using the simple STAR technique.
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