How to Prepare for a Job Interview
The most difficult hurdle for most people who are job seeking is the interview. Whilst the application form presents no problem when they sit in front of the interviewer their mind goes a complete blank. What can they do about it?
First off, you need to eliminate the fear of interview itself. To do this, just keep one thing in mind: The interviewer is nothing more than a stranger trying to know you as a person. Are you really so scared or tense while talking to strangers? I think not. It’s true that this stranger will give you a paying job but remember an interview is conducted not just to know whether you’re right for the job but also to see whether the job is right for you. So what if you don’t get this job; there are several other opportunities just around the corner. Be yourself is perhaps the best advice for preparing for a job interview.
The next thing you need to do before your interview is to have a basic idea of the set of questions you might be asked. Of course, interview questions are highly subjective to the kind of position you’re applying for but certain questions such as describe yourself, describe your accomplishments, where do you see yourself in 5 years etc are mostly asked in any corporate interview or otherwise. You must make this list of expected questions by thinking of yourself as an interviewer. The purpose of this exercise is to have a basic frame using which you can eliminate any unwanted surprises from your interview. Of course you can’t anticipate every question but just use common sense while making list of expected questions.
Once you have compiled the entire list of expected questions, its time to answer these one by one. Remember practice makes a man perfect and hence you must practice each answer until you get it right. Make sure you sound professional and friendly while giving your answer. Making a nice “chemistry” with the interviewer by providing professional and friendly answers is another great advice for preparing for a job interview.
Next we need to focus on your presentation on the day of interview. You should present yourself in a professional but friendly manner. Also a tense face will fail to make a good first impression. The old adage of first impression being the last is very true on the occasion of an interview. Although it’s indeed difficult to relax your tense nerves before an interview, there are definitely a few techniques to help you in this regard.
Slow and shallow breathing goes a long way in relaxing your tense nerves and you can start this exercise some 15 minutes before the interview. You should inhale through your nose while your mouth should be used while exhaling. Also don’t tab your feet and keep the entire shoe surface firmly on the ground. You can also move your foot fingers inside your shoes but make sure you don’t move your entire legs while doing the same.
Finally, on the day of your interview, make sure you have all your certificates in order. Nothing turns off an interviewer more than dealing with an interviewee who takes a minute to produce the right certificate when asked or doesn’t have it at all! Make sure your resume correctly represents the professional that you are and recheck it at least twice for any grammatical or spelling errors. Show up on time and remember to wear a smile while you are at it!
