Seven crucial interview tips that you will actually use
You’ve impressed with your CV, and the next step is getting in front of your potential employer and convincing them that you are their dream candidate. These interview tips will help to ensure that nerves, inexperience or shyness WON’T ruin the one opportunity you have to shine…
Don’t gabble to fill a silence
Whether your interviewer is shuffling vaguely through papers and looking for her glasses, or deliberately and fiendishly testing your nerve with a drawn-out pause, don’t feel under pressure to talk if you have nothing constructive to say. Maintaining a silence after one’s subject has finished speaking is a well-used interview technique, particularly by journalists to encourage ‘over-sharing’ and, potentially, the spilling of gossip. Don’t be that over-sharer. Especially not in a job interview.
Don’t feel you have to answer straight away
Many interviewers throw the odd curveball question to test the way you respond to the unexpected or to assess your problem-solving skills, but sometimes, when nerves are getting the better of you, even a simple enquiry such as: ‘So, tea or coffee?’ can send you into a tailspin. If the answer is straightforward but your mind has gone blank, simply readjusting yourself in your chair and taking a deep breath can give you the chance to pull your thoughts together and say: ‘White, five sugars, please’. If the question is more complex, then it’s absolutely fine to say: ‘Let me take a moment to think about that’. Employers will appreciate that you want give the query due and proper consideration, rather than replying with the first thing that pops into your head.
Don’t even attempt to fudge aspects of your CV. In other words: don’t fib
If, like many people, you have gaps in your CV due to unemployment or illness, don’t try to hide it. Likewise, if you had a job where you frequently did work at a higher level, don’t fib and say you were a ‘manager’ or an ‘officer’ if you were only, on paper, an assistant. Research and reference checking on the part of your prospective employer can and will reveal any economy with the truth.
However, you can turn these seeming disadvantages around, possibly making them a highlight of the interview. If you were out of work for six months but started cooking meals for elderly or infirm people living on your street, that’s far more positive than bodged dates. And if your frequent successful undertaking of tasks above your pay-grade made you the star of your department, now is the time to share that information!
Don’t assume a crushing handshake makes you seem confidant
So many people are afraid of giving a limp handshake (AKA the sock in a teacup) that they go too far the other way and grip as though trying to crack walnuts. This is as bad as not gripping firmly enough: research has shown that it almost always sends out negative signals, implying a bullying or aggressive nature.
Don’t wear clothes you haven’t meticulously prepared beforehand
I can’t stress this enough, and not just because it’s important to look smart and pulled-together during your interview. If you don’t feel you look your best because your suit has a stain or your one pair of decent tights is laddered, then it will affect how you perform, leading to increased nerves and diminished confidence.
For many people, knowing that their outfit is knock-out smart is part and parcel of feeling calm and in control. For those who normally only wear their good clothes for funerals, preparing what to wear can seem daunting. If you haven’t worn it in a while, make sure that what you intend to wear actually still fits – and not the night before when, if it doesn’t, you haven’t got the opportunity to source an alternative. Obviously, your clothes should be spotless, but also pay attention to details such as shoes, cuffs and hemlines, as well as personal details such as nails and hair.
Finally, remember: how you present yourself isn’t just about professionalism, it can also be an outward signal of how you’ve ‘judged’ the company, and whether you’ve judged them right. Is it an extremely formal environment, where a suit and tie is always required? Or is it more laid back, perhaps creative, where smart separates and dashes of flair are the order of the day?
Don’t make it all about you
In trying to convey just how much of an asset you could be, don’t go overboard and come across as conceited. Employers don’t just seek accomplishment and experience in a candidate, they want someone they can get along with, too. Make sure you express genuine interest in, knowledge of and regard for the company – and not just as a stepping stone in your personal plan for world domination.
Don’t forget body language
Whilst verbally dazzling the panel with your intelligence and insight, be aware that you’re sending out subliminal signals, too. Crossing your arms, fiddling with your hair, slouching and fidgeting can all make you look awkward or defensive, so even though your interviewers might be impressed by what you’re saying, the picture they’re receiving is of someone who could be difficult to manage or who will have trouble fitting into a team. Sitting up straight and keeping your hands relaxed in your lap is a good starting position, but remember that you don’t have to keep completely still, as that in turn could look odd (especially when you’re trying to describe the size of the fish you looked after in your previous job at an aquarium).
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