Cracking the Interview

An interview is the one hurdle between your dream job and you. Although getting an interview might be difficult, cracking it and securing your dream job requires a different level of skillset. During an interview, the hiring manager not only decides whether you are the right person for the job, but is also looking at other things like if you be the perfect fit for the workplace culture, or if you can be someone who can be groomed as a manager for the future.

It is going to be your first impression that you make, so a thorough preparation will take you a long way. At Authentic Staffing, we regularly take interviews and have seen numerous candidates who have a solid resume but fail to deliver in the interview because of lack of preparation. 

Which is why, we decided to write this article that explains the importance of preparation before and interview, and also talks about some tips that you will find helpful while you are giving your interview.

Pre-interview preparation

Attending an interview unprepared is like leaving your dream to luck. You might get the job, or you might not. You have no way of ensuring. Moreover, preparing for the interview in advanced gives you a different level of confidence, and this confidence will definitely go a long way in getting you that dream job.

Analyse the job description
The job description is the one thing that will give you hints about how your interview will go. If you read and understand the job description well, you can anticipate the question and prepare for them.

Editing your resume
Now that you have understood the job description, make changes to your resume and highlight the skills and experience that you have and relates directly to the position you are applying for.

Preparing a cover letter
Cover letters are a place where you can seal your chances of getting the interview. Most applicants do not bother with a cover letter. The ones that do write a cover letter, most of them use a standard format they made ages ago, or copy paste it from somewhere. If you put a bit of effort in writing that cover letter, it will show the recruiter that you actually care for the job. Moreover, the information you provide in the cover letter can also secure you that interview.

Research
In the age of the internet, you have no excuses for not having done your research. A simple google search can give you numerous examples of potential questions that you can expect for your interview. The internet is filled with videos, articles, and guides about how to ace interviews. Do your homework.

Practice
Now that you have a list of probable questions that might come up during the interview, practice them. Try to find examples from your work experience that directly relate to the job description and carve them into your answers. You can use projects, anecdotes, challenges you faced and talk about how you found the right solutions and what impact your suggestions had.

Another important thing to remember is that the interviewer forms his or her next question from your answer. If you master this technique, you can easily govern the interview in the direction you want them to take.

Read about the company
I don’t know how many times I have seen candidates not know anything about the company they are applying for. As an interviewer myself, I feel insulted that you do not care enough about the job to even look at what the company has done or plans to do.

The company is going to pay you money and you will be spending most of your waking hours in the company. You MUST research the company and go through their website and read about their history, mission, the kind of work they do, etc.

During the interview

Now that you have finished your preparation, get a good nights sleep and be confident for the interview. Confidence is key, and prepare yourself enough to have that confidence to walk in and kill the interview.

Reach the office early
Punctuality is something everyone appreciates. Reach the office early. You can also meet fellow candidates and perhaps talk about how the interview is going. You have a lot to gain by reaching early.

Think before you speak
Not only this helps you be more articulate, it gives an impression that you are a person who cares about what they speak and gather your thoughts before expressing them. This is a skill which is important in the workplace. Moreover, the thinking helps you organize your thoughts well before you communicate them ensuring maximum impact.

Speak Clearly
We all get nervous during interviews. But the people who are successful have mastered the art of concealing their nervousness. Speaking clearly helps you exude a different level of confidence. Remember, interviews are nerve-wracking for everyone. The ones who breeze through it easily are the candidates interviewers like to hire.

Express Gratitude
The interviewer has set aside time from their busy schedule to interview you. Be thankful for that. Not only is expressing gratitude a valuable skill for any employee, it makes you look humble, and people love humble people.

Ask questions
Any interviewer worth his salt will set aside time at the end of the interview for your questions. Most candidates just pass on this golden opportunity. This makes you look bad. Instead use this as an opportunity to interview the interviewer. Ask them questions about the job, the company, what they feel about their job, etc.

Ideally, you can use this section of the interview to make the interviewer sell you the job, and you shift the narrative and take control of the whole interview. This, if executed well, will definitely help you secure that position.

After the interview

Once the interview is done, thank the interviewer, share pleasantries before you take their leave. Make sure you follow up on the interview personally. Nothing says that you care than a good follow up call or email. The follow-up call is also a wonderful opportunity to further your rapport with the interviewer. Remember, there is a good chance that you did not get this job, but if you leave a lasting impression with the interviewer, they will personally contact you if there is a similar opening in the organization in the future.

There are a lot of thing that make or break an interview. Following the above-mentioned steps will increase your chances of getting hired. However, you still need the right experience and skills for the job you are applying for. Sometimes you might be a great candidate but not something the recruiter is looking for. Rejection is a part of the whole process. Embrace it.

If you get rejected, you can talk to the interviewer asking them what went wrong and how you can work on your shortcomings. This will give you a unique insight on your interview and you can change things that went wrong, work on it, and ensure the next interview goes better. Good luck