8 Steps to Ace The Interview

Even if you have the best skills on paper, and have had the best education and professional experience but if you show up to an interview with your shoulders slouched, a whisper of a voice, and not able to express your accomplishments fully, you will not connect with your interviewers and end up losing that job.

Making a great and lasting impression, demonstrating your best qualities during an interview increases your chances to a great extent of getting a job offer. By preparing well for the interview and following certain steps afterwards, you can impress the hiring team and make them hire you.

Know the background of the company 

It is vital to get an understanding of the company and also about the interviewer's role in the organization. This information can make you feel confident and also help you in getting clarity. You have to study the company's website, the recent press releases, and social media posts to understand its goals, actual working and determine how your experience would help you be the best fit for the particular position.

Answer questions smartly 

Expect the interviewer to ask you about how you would relate specific skills to your previous experience. This could be promptly answered using the STAR method.

• Situation: Describe a specific challenge you encountered.
• Task: Explain your role in the situation and how you actively took part.
• Action: Explain in detail the steps you took to overcome the challenge.
• Result: Explain the results you achieved and key learnings from it

Prepare answers to a few common questions: “Tell me about yourself, and why would you be the best fit for this position? The idea is to quickly communicate who you are and what value you will bring to the company and the role.

Prepare smart questions for the interviewers

This will reflect your eagerness to work with them and also your intellect level. Here are some examples of questions you can ask your interviewers. 

• Can I know some of the daily salient responsibilities of this position?
• How often do you measure performance for this position? What is the process for the same?
• What departments does the team interact with regularly? How are the interactions done?
• What challenges are to be kept in mind?

Aim to connect with interviewers, not impress them

In an interview, it’s important to come across as likeable. So, to maximize that confidence, your energy should be focused on building a rapport with the interviewer rather than just impressing him or her.

We often feel that confidence is about boasting about yourself, whereas it’s more to do with putting people at ease. It will help to focus on connecting with people rather than focusing on the performance or achievements.

For virtual interviews: set the stage, and grab some cheat sheets

If your interview is over the computer, make sure you’re set up well in time to avoid any last-minute hassles. Test your camera and the lighting, grab a notebook and a glass of water. Keep your LinkedIn profile link handy, or maybe keep a printout of the top accomplishments.

Power of body language

In Amy Cuddy’s video, Your Body Language Shapes Who You Are, she asserts that not only does body language affect how others see you, but also influences how we see ourselves. Her studies show that “power posing” i.e.standing in a posture of confidence, even when you don’t feel confident – tricks the brain’s testosterone and cortisol levels which makes you feel more confident. Her research concludes that changing your body positions has an enormous impact on how others see you.

Make yourself look attractive and confident during an interview with a comfortably firm handshake, direct eye contact, straight posture, relaxed but passionate communication style, and a genuine smile. Including all this in your personality will give you an edge over other candidates.

Ask for the next steps

After the interview, it is best to enquire about what you should expect in the following week. Ask them whether you have to send in anything from your end like the reference list, an assignment, or another interview.

Follow up with a personalized thank-you email

Send in a personalized thank-you email to all the interviewers. If the interview was held in the morning, email your thank-you note the same day. If the interview was in the afternoon or evening, the next morning is fine. Make sure to keep each email distinct from the others and add a personalised touch based on the interview experience.

These steps will help you to prepare for your interview. These will enhance your confidence, you will be able to be a polished, clear-headed, confident candidate. These will aid you to put your knowledge on display without worry and also maximize your chance of getting the position you want. You can access content on power posing and building confidence from the HappiMynd curated content library.