An interview is unarguably the most important part of any hiring process whether you’re just starting or looking to move up in your area of specialization. While it may not be necessary for some jobs depending on the type of work, oftentimes it’s a mandatory prerequisite to employment. An interview is your chance to connect it all together that’s been missing from your job application. It’s an excellent opportunity to highlight your strengths and show them how you can be a great fit for that role.
But the thing is that most people end up getting rejected after interviews. This could be because of any number of reasons, but you can minimize your chances of getting rejected with some careful consideration. The key to acing an interview is research. The better your research, the more poised you’ll be during the interview. And you won’t get the jitters when the interviewer throws a curve ball.
Speaking of research, make sure your internet connection isn’t the limiting factor during your interview prep. A fast and consistent service like Xfinity Internet allows you to do whatever you want without worrying about slow speed and lags. Contact Xfinity to learn more about pricing and availability. Once that’s sorted, you can browse the following tips for acing your next interview. Stay tuned.
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Research the employer
Did you know that approximately one-third of interviewers decide whether they want to hire the candidate or not during the first 90 seconds of an interview? This is your approximate window to impress your potential employer, and some careful research can put you in a better position to get their attention in the first few minutes. Better research ensures your answers are relevant to the company’s profile and business. This will also allow you to come up with better questions that you can ask at the end of the interview.
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Pay attention to the job description
Employers post job descriptions in their job posts to set clear expectations for all applicants. It’s a fairly accurate summary of what you’ll be typically doing daily if you get the job. Ideally, you should read a job description in its entirety so you know what you’re getting into. If it doesn’t align with your skills and aptitude, there’s no need to apply for the role. Save yourself the headache and apply only to those roles that are a good match for your skills.
Another reason why you should pay attention to the job description is that you’ll naturally have some questions after reading it. Maybe it’s something the employer missed out or didn’t disclose, and you can ask these questions during the interview. One more thing you should keep in mind is that job descriptions for the same role at different companies may differ because every company has its own business model and goals, and that’s fine.
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Practice recurring questions beforehand
Some of us relate to when we meant to say something but it came out a bit different and the meaning was lost or altered. While this may not matter in casual interactions, it can adversely affect your prospects during an interview. To avoid this, try practicing the main parts before heading into the interview. These things include your introduction and questions. Record your answers and listen to them after the session. This allows you to tailor those answers according to the role and organization.
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Use the STAR method
The STAR method is a technique used for tackling behavioral and situational questions in any situation, and you can use this during your interview prep. Employers often pose such questions to candidates to gauge how they’ll react in certain situations, and whether your judgment can be trusted or not.
The way it works is that you’ll explain the context of your example first. Then, you’ll discuss the problem or challenge that you faced and move on to how you overcame that obstacle. Lastly, you’ll highlight the positive outcome in quantifiable terms. The last part is equally important. For example, saying, “I increased the website traffic,” is less likely to catch their attention as opposed to saying, “I increased the website traffic by 50% in 3 months.”
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Follow up after the interview
After you’ve asked the questions and you’re through with the interview, consider sending an email to the hiring manager or team within a day after the interview. In that email, thank the hiring team for taking out the time to interview and reiterate your interest in the role and their company. If you don’t hear back within a few days or a week, you may send a follow-up email asking them about the timeline for that role and expressing your continued interest in that position.
Conclusion
To conclude, make sure to do thorough research about the role and the company. Pay attention to the job description and tailor your answers accordingly. After you’ve locked down the questions, try practicing them multiple times until you can fluently state your answers while also sounding natural. Lastly, you should follow up with the hiring team about the progress and show continued interest in that role and company.
