Having sleepless nights, getting jitters, feeling scared! Because you have an interview to face soon. Relax, Don’t Panic! It is only an Interview. It is not a judgment day for you to be prosecuted. Interviews can be fun and a learning process.
What you require are few tricks up your sleeves. And then you have the ball rolling for you. Interview is all about mind game, in a positive way. Once you can delve into the psyche of the person sitting at the other end of the table, well, the match point is yours.
Here are a few tips to get you going in an interview:
Get over the fear of Rejection
Let us get it straight. We don’t fear interviews. Rather we fear rejections. So how do we overcome the fear of rejections in interviews? It is simple. Just change your attitude and approach towards interviews. Treat it as any normal day rather than marking it as the D day. Always appear in interview with the attitude that this is not the end of life if you don’t land up with the job. YES… you read it right. Always appear in interviews with this approach. This attitude will boost your self-confidence.
Work on your Walk
It is all about creating the right impression. Hiring judgment is made within the
first 10 seconds of meeting the candidate. How the candidate walks into the room is a part of the judgment process. Walk into the room with your shoulders pulled back, head held high and firm. Each pore of your body should ooze out confidence. Make your interviewers fall in love with you at first sight. They should not have any other options apart from hiring you.
Know yourself well
“So, tell me something about yourself”. Without a doubt, this is the most important
question. And since this is often the first question, you want to answer it well. The purpose of this question is to know you and decide whether you would be a good fit for the job. The interviewer doesn’t want to know where you were born, what your parents do or the story of your childhood. So, how to answer this question? Focus on the career related abilities, achievements and goals that are connected to this particular job.
Get dressed up for the occasion
Make no mistake: how you look matters in interviews! It matters enormously. When you present yourselves well, dress yourselves well, you feel confident. The first time an interviewer looks at you, determines a lot whether they ultimately select or reject you. So dress up well to cut down your chances of being rejected because of your sloppy dressing sense.
Get your Eye Contact Right
Maintain eye contact to create the rapport with your interviewers. Face is
the index of mind and eyes are the gateways of our mind. When you maintain eye contact, interviewers will believe you, trust you. Follow the 80/20 rule. Don’t stare at the interviewer. Settle for alternate gazes. And yes, most importantly Smile. Without Smile, eye contact is meaningless.
Research the company beforehand
Before you appear for the interview, get some homework done about the company. Research about your prospective employer. Understand the job role for which you are
interviewed. Some pertinent questions are asked like–‘What do you know about our company?’ ‘What are our products?’ or ‘Who are our competitors?’ You should have these answers at the tips of your fingers.
Don’t beat around the bush
Don’t know the answer to a question? Relax. The interviewers are fine if
you don’t know the answer. Tell the interviewer, ‘I am sorry Sir, I don’t know the answer to the question. They would appreciate your honesty. Don’t offend the interviewers by giving faulty or wrong answers and wasting their time.
The Way Ahead
Now that you have some interview tips, be confident. Gear up and start giving as
many interviews you can. This shall help you to get rid of interview phobia. Good Luck!