Congratulations! You might have followed the tips from our blog post on how to write a great resume and now you’ve landed an interview for your dream job? Below are the 5 best interview tips to help you before, during and after your interview to impress and prove you really are the right person for the job.
- Do your research
Research about the company, its services, products, corporate culture, values, and competitors. It will help you to tailor your skillset to meet the company’s needs as well as to show your interest in the company and position. Make sure you understand what the company stands for and don’t forget to check their social media channels. This will give insights into the employer brand.
- Be prepared
You’ll need to provide more context in your history by providing success stories, case studies or other examples on how you have utilised your skills and strengths to create great results.
To better prepare spend 10 minutes to think about 2-3 examples of challenging scenarios or case studies where you have demonstrated that your ability.
For example, you can highlight a time where you’ve challenged yourself, deal with a difficult client or customer. The key idea is to show that you can go above and beyond to achieve results, and are great at problem solving.
You can also adopt the PAR technique to tell your story in a memorable way to impress your potential employee:
Problem – what was the situation?
Action – what did you do to solve it?
Result – what changed afterwards?
- Be on time
Never arrive late to an interview. It is better to arrive 10-15 minutes early to give yourself some time to clear your mind and get used to a new environment.
Simple breathing exercises while waiting for your interview, or doing a quick meditation will allow your mind to focus, slow down and be present in the moment. This will create a calmer outlook and persona.
- Listen & Ask
Research shows that an average of 45% is spent listening compared to 30% speaking. Recruiters also realise that listening is one of the most crucial skills, it is highly important to listen and read between the lines.
At the end of your interview, it will be your turn to ask questions, so it is a great opportunity for you to kill two birds with one stone. To impress the interviewer, you should prepare a few genuine questions based on the research you have conducted as well as convey something new about you. As an example, you can ask the following question: “I am passionate about languages and minored in Mandarin. Will this role provide opportunities to work in emerging markets in Asia as there is an annual growth of 17%”?
- Follow Up
Thank your interviewer within 24 hours of finishing, it is a great opportunity for you to open the door for dialogue and remind the interviewer of all the valuable attributes you can bring to the company and job. Don’t miss out on the opportunity to market yourself.
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