How did your last job interview go? Do you wish it had gone better, that you had been more prepared and that you could have made the right impression? The list of mistakes that job applicants make in their interviews is extremely long, resulting in the golden opportunity being missed. Luckily, there is another list – this one is of tips that will help you ace the job interview. Here are some of them.
1. Be well prepared
What kind of company is it and what will your tasks/duties look like? What do you already know well and in which areas do you still need some more knowledge?
2. Be on time for your Interview
Being late means you do not have enough interest in the job offered. Please be at least 5 minutes earlier. Should you not be able to be in time please phone the company and let them know. Always keep the contact details with you. The ideal situation would be that you already know the name of the Interviewer to contact him directly.
3. Dress well
You will show the following impression: The job is import for me! An Interview is an important appointment. When you put extra care into your appearance you will also feel better and more confident.
4. Be a nice guest
Nice guests are friendly and respectful. They know a bit of small talk (e.g. yes, thank you I have found my way very well according to your directions). They also say “Please” and “Thank you”, keep eye contact when applicable, take something to drink when offered and only sit down once they have been offered a seat to sit. This sounds very old fashioned but is still important behavior for being humble and respectful. Your future employer will respect you for that!
5. Be honest
It’s the best way to convince your future employer and leaves him with the reassurance that you will always tell the truth. If you show them that you are not 100 percent knowledgeable for a certain task, you will gain his sympathy. And the interviewer will definitely be convinced that you are knowledgeable with other tasks you said you are good at. Job seekers who pretend to be perfect and in command of all the tasks are not trustworthy.
6. Market yourself in a positive way
Do not complain and do not talk bad of yourself and others. Nobody wants to employ somebody like that. If asked about your weaknesses be honest, but nothing which would possibly “kill” the interview such as not being punctual, lazy, slow, not ambitious etc. In case the interviewer will ask you about something you do not feel confident about, tell him/her that you are not comfortable with this topic. Your positive Aura and confidence in that regard will be rewarded. But please be careful: Do not overdo your well-meant self-marketing!
7. Be a good communicator
If the interviewer has to drag all information out of you it will be exhausting and could be interpreted that you want to hide something or might not have enough interest in the job offered. Also, on the contrary please don’t talk in a monolog. Observe the reaction of your interviewer: Is he already bored and looks at his watch? Or is he keeping eye contact to encourage you to keep talking?
8. Be obliged and interested
Prepare questions to ask, listen contently and ask at the end of the interview how you should go from here. Tell them that you are interested in the job should this job be made for you. Please be careful not to ask too quickly about the salary. Rather be guided by the Interviewer. Should they ask you what you would like to earn be prepared to answer that question.
9. Should they decline
If your application is declined ask yourself what the reason could be. Was the offered job not made for you? Was the personal chemistry mismatching? Did you not behave in an appropriate way? Human beings employ human beings. This is a very subjective issue. Should they still decline even though you thought everything went well, it might have nothing to do with you personally. Maybe you are luckier next time. As long as you know you have tried your best!
