Here’s a situation for you to imagine! You are in the examination hall, appearing for an exam, unprepared, and feeling fidgety
The same can happen in an interview, after all, an interview is no less than an exam. Unpreparedness and poor mentoring are key reasons candidates fail to crack their dream job interviews.
The key to passing any exam is thorough preparation. And an interview is no less than an exam. So candidates appearing for their first interview or probably the 50th would still need some warm-up before sitting on that ‘hot seat’!
Regardless of applying for a senior or junior position, here are some amazing pre-interview tips to ace your next interview:
1. Research the Company & Position In & Out
Here’s a question – How many times you’ve been asked ‘What do you know about our company?’ and you have been point-blank? Employers tend to hire candidates who come with brief research and knowledge about the company. Showing you’ve done your research can give you an extra edge over your fellow competitors.
As a candidate, you must check everything possible about the company, interviewer, job position, roles, responsibilities, etc. When you have understood the company culture in and out, you will tend to know with more clarity whether you will fit in the company or not.
P.S. — Don’t stalk or nudge your interviewer prior to the interview to explore his or her background. Give a general profile check on professional platforms like LinkedIn or Glassdoor.
2. Know the Interview Round
You should know the subject of your exam. Similarly, you ought to know the interview round details. You may ask the contact person about what will be the agenda of that particular interview round.
3. Pre-prepare for Some Common Interview Questions
On the best interview preparation site like ours, you can connect with the experts who will guide you in answering a few of the most basic questions.
Some common questions like:
- “Tell me something about yourself?”
- “Why you are looking for a job change?”
- “How do you see yourself in the next few years?”
- “What do you know about our company?”
- “What makes you a good fit for this role?”
These questions may sound simple, but how you answer them plays a vital role in deciding your fate during the interview.
Because most interviews are time bound, it is critical to maximize the first 90 seconds to leave a lasting impression on your interviewers mind.
4. Identify your Selling Points for this Job
Know why you are the best!!
Unless and until you don’t know your strengths, how will you convince the interviewer that you are the rightmost pick for that job?
To know this, you must run a SWOT analysis. This analysis method will help you to know your professional side much better.
SWOT stands for Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities & Threats.
You will be able to position yourself better in the interview room. Be confident while opening up about the positive and negative aspects of yours. We are humans and we were not born perfect. We are always on the path of attaining perfection, so it is absolutely fine to speak up about your good and improvable sides, both. As a matter of fact, your interviewer will identify you as a strong and confident personality.
5. Know Why You’re Interested in this Position at this Company
Similar formula applies here. Wondering which one? You got to know how you are the right fit for the vacant position, what makes you the best candidate, and how your interest matches the position’s role. Unless and until you know it, you will not be able to convince your interview panel about it.
Ensure that you don’t cheat during the interview. You might succeed in deceiving the interviewer about your keen interest in the job. But, gradually, when your performance doesn’t reflect the same, you will face problems.
6. Know Your Worth!
You got to know what your efforts, time, and dedication in this job are worth. Also, salaries are not only based on the industry trend. It’s all about your skills, expertise, and experience that can compel the interviewer to push the figure to higher numbers.
Carry out a proper research or consult the counseling experts on the best interview preparation site.
7. Utilize the STAR Method
Whenever you are answering a situational or hypothetical question, here’s a little tip you can use.
Storytelling might not be your forte. However, use the STAR method. This 4-point way of narrating any story will always help you in smooth landing in the listener’s brain.
- Situation: Give out just enough details about the scenario briefly.
- Task: Now is the time to insert your role in that scene.
- Action: CLIMAX! Hit the rod when it’s hot. Now that the listener is completely into you and is gaining faith in your story, tell how well you performed.
- Result: Reveal the (positive) outcome.
8. Give Mock Interview Online!
After the COVID-19 scenario, many companies have started conducting mock interview online for safety and time-saving purposes. Be it HR interview preparation (non-IT) or IT job preparation, most rounds take place online today.
For your one on one interview preparation, these tips can come in handy while you sit in a shirt tucked in your pyjamas and give an online interview! For instance, you got to sit straight, ensure your webcam works fine, double-check if your internet bandwidth is stable, etc.
9. Practice > Memorize
Often we hear that practice makes a man perfect. Like in mathematics, memorizing a difficult question won’t help. That’s because you won’t be able to solve it if the values are changed. Similarly, don’t memorize answers, even to the basic questions.
You must sound natural and not someone who’s trying to remember every ‘a’, and ‘the’, and then forgetting lines in between.
So, as the top interview site in India, we advise that keep practicing but don’t memorize anything for the interview.
10. Body Language Speaks Volume
This is probably the best interview guidance. Right answers are important, but are they the only requirement to crack an IT job interview? No!
Instead, the right answer with the right attitude will help you fetch that job!
Remember to look smart, wear neat and ironed clothes, maintain a good posture throughout, and keep your etiquette game strong.
11. Prepare a Questionnaire for your Interviewer
Don’t think otherwise! During your dream IT job preparation, you must also prepare a short list of questions that you would ask your interviewer. This will not only leave a good first impression but will also help you in getting answers to your observed queries.
A Closure by the Best Interview Preparation Site!
Checking where the interview location is and how will you commute beforehand can help your anxiety levels stay at par.
At the end of the day, you ought to know that every interview is a new opportunity that knocks at your door. If you grab it and go prepared for it, the chances are high that you will get to mention this job on your resume. So, calm your nerves, enter the interview room with 100% confidence, and give your best performance!
Reach out to our experts to discover your hidden talents and polish your skills. Get help in brushing up on your resume writing skills from experts rather than building resumes via templates.