How To Excel In Interview?

Firstly, Congrats! That you got a call for job interview.
Thought of going for an interview can be stressful as well as exciting at the same time.
An interview is an opportunity for both the parties to discover about each other. It is a case when you build your first impression towards the company. Interview skills are learned, and there are no second chances to make a great first impression.

Good preparation and planning are the keys to success. To succeed in an interview all you need is energy, enthusiasm, strategy and preparation. When you are going for an interview, adopt a consultant mentality and clearly communicate your ability to solve the unique challenges of the company with which you are interviewing. Be careful to not be either too positive or too negative about the company with which you’re interviewing. What you can do is, avoid mistakes and fill in all the gaps in your plan. Being calm and confident is very important.
Here are few points which will surely help you succeed in an interview.

1. RESEARCH ON THE COMPANY

This will help you answer the questions while interview is going on. Having sound knowledge of the company, before the interview will help you formulate your own, knowledge-based opinion which you´ll need to express at the interview. Looking at the website will help you find useful material such as annual reports, newsletters and brochures.

2. KNOW YOURSELF PROPERLY

Be clear with your job profile and role. Clear for yourself about the role and company you´d like to apply for really fits with your skills, career track, professional and personal objectives, beliefs, and experiences. Check, if you might match with the culture and needs of the company you´d like to join. Every good interviewer will realize very quickly how passionate you are about her company and how excited you are about the offered position.

3. DRESS TO SUCCEED

Dressing properly is an important step towards making the first impression. Your appearance should be neat, clean, smart, and professional. Decide what you’ll wear the night before so you won’t rush at the last minute. Layout your clothes and make sure everything is clean and pressed.

4. COMMUNICATE FLUENTLY

You should use professional language during the interview. Be aware of any inappropriate slang words or references to age, race, religion, politics — these topics could send you out the door very quickly. Communication often is not only about what is said, but mostly about how something is expressed – verbally and non-verbally. In this respect, you should not think of the interview as a form of one-way communication, i.e. only you explaining and answering questions.

5. WALK ON TIME

It is never a good start if you walk in late for an interview. Arrive on time, in fact, I would suggest that walk before time. Reaching 10-15 min early would be no harm but it will give the interviewer an idea that you are punctual and that will be a good start.

6. BE HONEST

Be honest and do not fake answers. Answer only to the extent of your knowledge area. Sometimes it’s okay to say that you have no idea about a particular thing rather than just putting up things and being cocky and clumsy. Remember, whatever you speak during the interview will be remembered by the interviewer till the end and he might ask you to work on a specific area of work. So, be honest and realistic towards everything.

7. STAY POSITIVE

Regardless of how the interview goes – or what you think how it goes (as these two are often dissimilar), your composure should display interest, engagement, and friendly open-mindedness. A positive conversation is key to s successful job interviews. Employers don’t want to hear a litany of excuses or bad feelings about a negative experience, even when legitimate.

8. LISTEN

If you want to give a good answer you need to listen to the question being asked. Doing so will enable you to give a powerful and structured answer to the question.

9. DO NOT TALK MUCH

Speak only to what is the required amount. Too much of talking may be fatal. Stay straight to the point and do not mix up things. When you have not prepared ahead of time, you may ramble when answering interview questions sometimes talking yourself right out of the job.

10. ASK QUESTIONS

When the interviewer asks you, if they have any questions, most candidates answer, “No.” That is a wrong answer. Part of knowing how to interview is being ready to ask questions that demonstrate an interest in what goes on in the company. Asking questions also gives you the opportunity to find out if this is the right place for you. It’s ok to refer to your list of questions during the interview.

11. BE YOURSELF AND DO NOT PRETEND

Do not pretend to be something that you are not at the time of the interview. Be ready to enter a good and constructively-led discussion with different points of view. Important to recognize, however, to remain tolerant, open-minded, and to discuss in an emphatic and fact-based manner. Be able to list and explain your qualities by using concrete and short examples and explaining what you mean.

Hope this was helpful for you. If yes then, by keeping these points in mind, go forth and excel in your next interview.
To go through the basic interview questions, visit our website blog section and find the interview question answers blog there. It will surely help you.