Top Five Tips To Succeed at an Interview This Year

Knowing how to approach a job interview can take your chances of getting a job from good to great. Here are some of the best interview tips out there.

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Interview Tips

Getting past the first round of job hunting and actually landing an interview is exciting. You are now past resume writing and heading into preparation for the interview process. If you want to avoid last-minute scrambling and impress your potential employer to land the job, keep these job interview tips in mind.

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Top Interview Tips

Although interviews are complex and can be difficult to prepare for entirely, there are a few things you can do to significantly improve your likelihood of success.

First of all, research the company. Look into the company culture, check the company’s website, reread the job description and generally get a feel for how the company looks and feels. You can also follow the company’s social media accounts.

Next, understand interview etiquette. Make sure you know the dress code for the interview and the job in general, then have an outfit picked out before the day of the interview. If you have a hard time speaking in public, you may want to practice things like eye contact and body language before the interview.

Understanding interview questions is also important. Prepare some follow-up questions to ask the interviewer, and know what questions may be off-limits for an interviewer to ask. Make sure you’ve practiced for behavioral interview questions, which are some of the most common interview questions to ask.

How To Ace an Interview No Matter What

The best way to ace an interview is by using the STAR method. STAR stands for Situation, Task, Action and Result, and it’s an effective way to respond to most interview questions.

When an interviewer asks you a question, the STAR method gives you a general outline to follow when responding to it. For example, if the interviewer asks, “Tell me about a stressful situation you experienced at work,” you’ll come up with a specific situation, the task or goal that you were working toward, the actions you took to address the situation, and the result of the actions.

It’s important to remember when using the STAR method that you need to be as specific as possible and that you should keep the focus on yourself. Use “I” instead of “we.” Highlight positive experiences and how you used your skills to benefit the company as a whole.

The Elements an Interviewer Is Looking For

Typically, an interviewer is looking for three elements when interviewing a potential candidate. That means to make a great first impression and make it to the next interview, you need to meet these elements.

First off, the interviewer wants to make sure you’ll work well with the company culture. To meet this, make sure you know about the company culture and actively think you’ll fit in in this new job. You should also check the dress code and make sure you’ll fit in. There’s nothing worse than making a negative first impression because you are overdressed or underdressed.

Interviewers also want to know that you understand the company. If the interviewer asks you questions about the company itself, you should be able to answer at least simple questions, like where the company is located or what the company is most well known for in the industry. You don’t need to have a history of the company memorized, but you should know about the company.

Lastly, the interviewer wants to know you’ll excel in your position. The recruiter’s job is to see that you are looking to stay long term so the company doesn’t have to fill the position again anytime soon. Remember to showcase that you want to stay and grow with this company and that you have the skills and experience necessary to benefit the company in both the short term and the long term.

FAQ: Interview Tips

Q: What are the most common interview questions?

By knowing some of the most common interview questions, you can be more prepared for the first interview. Some very common interview questions include:

Tell me about yourself.
Why do you want to work here?
What is your dream job?
What are some difficult situations you’ve overcome in previous jobs?
Why are you leaving your current job?
Where do you see yourself in five years?

You can look up the most common questions and answers in interviews to get more information about these questions and how to prepare for them.

Q: How can I prepare for my interview?

There are a few ways you can prepare for your interview. Go over your answers to general questions and stage a mock interview with a friend or family member. Reread your cover letter and resume to see what you’ll want to talk about in the interview. You may also want to print out copies of your resume and cover letter and bring them to the interview whether it was requested or not.

Q: What should I do after the interview?

Prior to concluding and leaving the job interview, you should ask the interviewer what you should expect for the next steps of the hiring process. This will provide you with an idea of whether you should continue to apply to other available job roles in the meantime. Another way to boost your job search is by sending a thank-you email after the interview. This shows the recruiter that you’re excited to get a job offer and you really want them to hire you.

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