Strategies for Interview Success
A major and daunting aspects of job searching is the fear of an interview. Interview fear is a natural result of wanting to seek approval and validation from others in particular from potential employers. While expressing themselves in a positive manner may be natural for some but others feel nervous about being asked questions regarding their career or past successes. Perhaps because of modesty, or the discomfort arising from being asked questions about their personal life interviews have turned out to be an extremely intimidating aspects that are required to hire.
It doesn’t have to be the situation.
Interviews are a crucial means for the candidate to showcase their abilities as well as their accomplishments and capabilities. It’s been a while since you’ve been through the first step and your resume has made the cut through ATS scanners, and your name being considered for an interview. This chance to present and further elaborate on your profile, work history as well as the key skills and expertise is the proverbial foot in the door when you convince the interviewer you have what it takes you increase your odds of passing the next step of the final selection process.
You can, fortunately, prepare for interview questions if you’re struggling with fears about speaking about your achievements. The practice is essential and luckily, interview questions can be practiced in advance. The key to flawless interviews is preparation, and here are some guidelines you can apply to boost your chances of aceing that interview and impressing your prospective employers:
Learn to be comfortable around difficult questions.
Interviewers will ask you tough questions, partially because they wish to gather information and information, but also in order to help how you can get rid of potentially contentious questions and concerns. Take for example the question "Why do you want to leave your current position?"
The answer could be due to management issues, or concerns about work-life balance. No matter the answer but the way that you express your response will signal your capacity to be an objective and fair observer. Be honest and articulate your answer with the greatest objectivity possible. This means that you should eliminate all emotional responses, like answers that are based purely on feelings or sentiments and do not have any basis in facts.
Other important questions to ask are "What did you do to get this job?", "Why should we hire us?", or trick questions like "Why should be able to not employ you?" The key is to remain calm and plan your thoughts well.
Before speaking, outline your thoughts using the PREP method: POINT-REASON-EXPLANATION/EXAMPLE/-POINT. Start with your statement and then follow it up with a short reason or summary as to the reason you reacted in a particular way. Then, add instances or elaborate. After you have explained thoroughly the topic, return to your original point.
If you’re requested to provide a description of your participation in a project or task and you are required to describe your involvement, you could use this method. STAR Method, which is commonly used to respond to criteria for selection. When you use STAR, you must state the context,followed by a Task,then a description of Actionstaken, and lastly, the results.
It’s all in body language
Being natural in a difficult situation can be a tall order, but you can always make sure you are practicing professional communication. Put yourself in front of the mirror or ask a trusted person to ask you questions and observe your body language. Are you fidgeting or shifting around with a nervousness? Do you seem intimidating, stiff, defensive or reserved in your body or speech? Do you use appropriate gestures? Are your facial expressions in line with the message you’re trying to convey? Do you convey authenticity, openness and genuine concern?
Be aware of your strengths and your weaknesses.
Prior to your interview, ensure that you review the job description once more. Assuming you read the job description and applied the roles and responsibilities listed within to customize and modify your resume and other documents for selection, it is important to look at the job description to clearly package yourself for the interviewer. Be open and honest on your strength and weakness. Being truthful about your strengths will enable the interviewer to notice your strengths as a prospect. However, announcing your intention to address your weak points will be equally significant.
Prepare questions
Another aspect to consider in the interview is to show genuine interest in the job and within the company. The most appropriate person to ask for questions during the interview is the one you interview. If you noticed something interesting in the job description, or if you have any questions that were left unanswered through their FAQ or guide questions (which can be found in the job description or the general page for hiring about section), raise these at the end of the interview, after your interviewer is encouraging you to ask questions. Some thought-provoking questions you may ask your employer include:
"How do I become the most suitable person for the jobif given the chance to work alongside members of your staff?"
"Does the company have any major projects in the pipeline currently"
"What are the opportunities for further development and training?"
Know what your salary expectations are.
Salary packages and other benefits are typically advertised along with the job (or as part of a range when applying via SEEK). However, the interviewer may be interested in knowing what you’re expecting to earn. The most important thing to do is provide a range in which you’d like your pay to fall rather than giving an exact number or a set amount. Try to keep your range as narrow as possible instead of offering a an expansive margin. For instance, if anticipate earning $75,000 per year, a reasonable range is anywhere between the $73,000-$80,000 range or anyplace within the $10,000 range. Also, be aware of other perks and benefits in addition to these when you consider your salary goals.
The preparation steps you have in your pocket is crucial to equip yourself with the confidence to answer the toughest questions. Be confident, feel confident and courageous.
If you need assistance with documents related to recruitment or credentials as well as interview preparation, get in touch with Perth Resume. Our friendly and highly trained consultants can help you through your preparatory steps. Contact us now for an complimentary quote or contact us directly to speak with one our consultants on 1300 648 974.
