Interviewers do not know us and vice versa. Thus, the interview acts as the first impression for you and the company. So, both sides must keep the conversation engaging. To respect the scope of the article, we will inform you only about how to be in an interview as a candidate. Additionally, if you possess the required skills and perform better, you can grab the offer. Let us know How To Be In An Interview?
Reach the venue at least 15 minutes before the scheduled interview. Get relaxed, maintain eye contact, proper posture, and confidence, and be true. Speak and nod your head wherever required, and make sure you do not exaggerate much.
Before Appearing To An Interview
Many beginners may think, ‘Is it required to prepare before appearing for an interview?’ The answer is ‘Yes.’ The following are the points to get followed before appearing for an interview:
Study The Company
Interviewers ask if you know anything about the company, though they will introduce the company to you. It shows that you devoted some time to research the company and that you are interested in the job opportunity.
Get Ready For The Common Interview Questions
Most interviewers will ask you to introduce yourself, your SWOT analysis, why are you interested in the position, etc. irrespective of your position. So, these are called ‘Common Interview Questions.’
Prepare The List Of Your Questions
Many people consider interviews a one-way process. But, it is not. Interviewers will ask you questions from your side. Do not refuse to ask. Prepare a list of questions to ask the interviewer. It represents your confidence and interest. It will clear your doubts.
Go Through The Job Description
The job description will help you understand what the employer expects from you because you will work for the company. Gain required skills accordingly. It will help you stand out from the crowd. Completing a certification course for a few required skills will get advantageous though certification is not always required. Your skills will get prioritized over certification.
Go Through Your Resume
Your resume acts as proof of your claims. So, update your resume. You must know what exactly you have written in it. Similarly, bring more than one copy of your resume for an interview.
Practice
You must have understood what and how to practice after going through the above points. Research and keep your answers ready. Work on your gestures and posture for an interview and practice the answers for the above points repeatedly.
During Interview
Being underconfident and overconfident will take you to a dead end. You require proper guidance to differentiate between the two during the interview as follows:
Dress Properly
Do not wear ripped jeans, shorts, flip flops, sandals, yoga pants, wedge sandals, sneakers, strapless dresses, and halter and tank tops. Go according to the employer’s dress code to look professional. Startups may not get too strict with formal attire. It also depends on the industry you have applied in.
For instance, a law firm may expect you to wear a suit and slacks or pants or a skirt. Invest in purchasing formal attire specifically for the interview. It will help you with several interviews. But, do not get overdressed. Your attire must have minimum or no patterns. It must be dark colored and get comfortable. Wear formal shoes, and matching socks, and apply light perfume.
Make sure your accessories do not disturb you or the interviewer during the interview. Carry an extra pair of formal attire in case the attire you are wearing gets dirty or torn while traveling.
Get On Time
Reach the interview venue 15 minutes before the scheduled time. Get hydrated, fresh, and comfortable. Switch off your phone or keep it on silent mode. The latter will be better if the interviewer asks you to show your online presence on your phone. Avoid scheduling an interview early in the morning, especially, if you live far away from the venue.
Register with the receptionist so, he/she can inform the interviewer about your arrival. The company can ask for your screening documents during that period. Arriving 15 minutes early shows seriousness toward the opportunity and discipline. You will appear relaxed before the interviewer. Thus, you can answer the interviewer’s questions calmly.
Search for the location and plan the commute if you are visiting the venue for the first time. Leave your home more early if you stay far away as you may get caught in traffic.
Listen
It is a common myth that the interviewer always asks and the candidate must speak. The interview must get interactive. So, get ready to listen to the interviewer carefully. The interviewer may tell you more about the company and job.
Get attentive or you may lose a useful piece of information. The interviewer must be interested in you as an employee and want to inform you about the characteristics required for the position. Look at those signs of enthusiasm. Further, you may get your doubts cleared after listening carefully.
Do Not Interrupt Or Talk Too Much
This point goes hand in hand with the previous one. You may have a few doubts after listening to the interviewer carefully. But, do not interrupt him/her. Wait for him/her to finish talking. Similarly, do not talk too much. The interviewer may get irritated in both cases and you may seem to be unprofessional.
Think before talking because you must prove your claims if you get selected. Keep your answers to the point. The interviewer may lose interest in your answer after a few seconds. Even if the interviewer asks you to tell about yourself, make sure that you say everything related to the position.
Do Not Get Too Friendly
Some interviewers, especially experienced ones, will get friendly (to a limited extent) and ask you to get comfortable. They may tell you how they are related to your college, school, or previous company.
Some interviewers may even talk in your native language. It is required to make the interview enthusiastic and engaging. But, remember that you are only a candidate. Your aim is not to make friends. So, maintain professionalism. Do not get out of your shoes. Some interviewers may like friendliness. But, overfriendliness will irritate the interviewer.
Being true is fine, but do not get too frank during the interview. It means you were not truthful while making the resume.
Do Not Get Overconfident
Exaggerating your skills is risky because you must prove your claims later. Many candidates mention what they ‘can’ do, but only some mention what they have done. The latter will act as proof of your skills. Do not think that the interviewer is there to serve you only because he/she is humble. You must stay humble too.
Some candidates assume to get positive feedback after a few minutes of the interview. But, even a single mistake can turn the table. Do not directly refuse if they ask you to gain a possible skill. Many positions require team players. So, arrogance does not work there. It is not limited only to words. Make sure your posture, attire, and description of your qualification do not make you look arrogant or overconfident.
Body Language
The way you sit or move your hands represents your present state of mind. So, work on your body language before appearing for an interview. Being stiff or folding your hands indicates nervousness. So, you may change your position occasionally as required. Follow the following rules:
- Smile wherever required. It spreads positivity.
- Look into the eyes of the interviewers. It indicates confidence. Follow it while shaking hands along with a firm handshake and a smile.
- Lean to the interviewer slightly to indicate that you are listening to him/her.
- Do not sit at the edge of the chair. Similarly, do not completely rest your back on the chair. Nod your head wherever required to show that you are listening.
- Rest your hands (till the elbow) on the desk. Interlacing fingers slightly represents relaxation.
- Use proper hand gestures wherever required. Making them frequently represents nervousness.
The best method is to practice these points in the mirror. It will allow you to understand your flaws.
Ask Questions
The interviewer asked you questions to find out whether you fit into the position. On the other hand, you must ask questions to find out whether the job is better for you. However, do not ask for what you could get on the internet. Instead, do some research and ask unanswered questions.
Some people may not recommend you to ask about promotions and salary. If the interviewer has already answered all your questions, you can only say ‘I have no questions as you have answered all my questions.’
The questions can be related to the following
Role
You may ask about the characteristics, skills, experience required, and challenges associated with the role.
Internal mobility
Employees get bored by doing the same work for years. So, you may ask whether you can change your department or role after a few years in the company. Similarly, you may ask for a period to wait before getting promoted.
Company
You may ask about relocation, goals, other branches, or the expected position of the company in the next five years. Knowing about the challenges faced by the company may also help you.
Interviewer
Asking someone working in the company about the company is a better option. As you do not know the other employees, you may ask the interviewer about the advantages and disadvantages faced by them while working for the company. Similarly, you may ask how they climbed up the ladder of promotions in the company.
Company culture
The interviewer can tell you the difference between the company’s environment now and when he/she joined. You may ask about the team and company events.
Improvement and further steps
Even if you get selected, you may ask whether you need improvement. Similarly, knowing about the further steps after the interview is also crucial.
Know About The Interviewer And Company
The interviewer may ask you what you know about the company. So, go through the company’s official website and social media accounts. You can also follow the key people working for the company. It indicates respect and dedication toward the role. Reading about the company’s mission, vision, clients, values, and culture will help you. It will be awesome if you also get to know about the interviewer.
You may also find employee reviews for the company on trustable websites. It will help you find whether it is a better option for you. If you find something wrong after thorough research, you may decide whether to go further with the process.
In most cases, the employer will send you the job description and company information. Some may even send information about the founder of the company. Go through it thoroughly and ask the sender to get your doubts clarified. It will put a bad impression if you do not go through it.
Get Ready For Personal Questions
The interviewer may ask you personal questions like the reason behind leaving your last job, your career break, your strengths and weaknesses, your career goals, interest in further studies, family background and profession, your introduction, your description in a few words, etc. The motive is to learn more about you.
These questions are indirectly related to work. For instance, employers will not hire candidates planning to leave the company for further studies. Similarly, they do not want candidates whose weaknesses may hinder their performance after getting hired.
At The End Of The Interview
End it on a positive note. Smile and thank the interviewer before leaving the room. Look at the interviewer’s gestures and words to recognize the time to leave the room. Firmly shake hands with the interviewer if he/she takes his/her hand forward for it.
In most cases, you will not get informed about the rejection or selection right after the interview. They will inform you about the selection after a few days or weeks. On the other hand, many interviewers do not bother to inform about the rejection. We will come to it later.
Signs Of A Better Or Worse Interview
Some interviewers may not disclose the decision immediately. But, their actions can provide some hints.
Signs Of A Better Interview
The interviewer or the HR may ask you about how early you can join. Similarly, if you clear the round, the interviewers will discuss the further steps in detail. They will smile and maintain positive energy.
They can contact the references and introduce you to the team you will be working with. You will get HR’s details and information about the perks and other benefits. Similarly, the interview will last longer if they are interested in your profile.
Signs Of A Worse Interview
The fundamental sign of a worse interview is the shorter period. Even you will not get satisfied with your answers. In most cases, the employers do not bother to inform them about the rejection of the candidate. So, you may assume it to be a bad sign if you do not hear for a longer time. The interviewer will not discuss the role and further steps during the interview.
After The Interview
Getting out of the interview room is not enough. You have some responsibilities for later as follows:
Note Down
Note down the important points immediately after the interview because you may forget them afterward. You cannot do that during the interview, but the interviewer can do it. For that, carry a notepad and a pen. List the following things:
- The questions asked by the interviewer
- Feedback or important points told by the interviewer.
- Contact numbers, email ids, links, or the names of key people provided during the interview.
- Areas that you find difficult and you must improve.
Ask For Feedback
If the interviewer did not tell you whether you are selected or rejected, wait for a few days and get back to the employer through email. Mention the following things while asking for the same:
- Your full name
- The position you applied for
- The venue, time, and date of the interview
- Name of the interviewer
Mentioning these things is mandatory because the employer may not recognize you easily. Employers come across several candidates every day. Stay polite even if you get rejected. However, you may ask for feedback and improvements required if it happens. Similarly, show that you are interested in future opportunities in the same company (if you want). Thank the employer for taking some time from your busy schedule to respond to you.
Improvement
Feedback from the interviewer and your experience during the interview will help you recognize the areas of improvement. The job descriptions will help you find the missing skills. Gain the required skills one by one. Start rating yourself as you improve because the interviewers will ask you for it. Yes! As they do not know you, they will ask you to rate yourself.
Do not stop looking for a job. But, you may take a break. You may meditate or exercise during that period. Spend some time with yourself and identify your potential. You may even find a potential career path during the break. After some days, get back to hunting jobs with more energy.
Do Not Irritate The Employer
Do not contact the employers repeatedly if they do not respond. They have other work too. MNCs that do mass recruitment take even a month to send the offer letter. But, mid-scale and small-scale companies do not take more time. So, if they do not respond to you even after a long time, there are higher chances of rejection. However, you cannot get sure until the recruiter says that you are selected or rejected.
Stay In Touch With The Recruiter
You may stay in touch with the recruiters by following them on the social media platforms like Instagram, LinkedIn, Twitter, Quora, etc. No need to send messages. Your intention must be only to find the job postings on their accounts. You may apply for another position in the same company after looking at those job postings.
Similarly, you may find other key people mutually connected to them through social media. Do not lose contact with the employees working in that company, if you have any.
Conclusion
Both parties get to know each other through interviews. So, get ready to answer their questions and ask them back. As you will the one among several candidates, you must practice properly to stand out from the crowd. Thus, we have presented a guide explaining to you how to be in an interview. Follow the steps to fulfill your responsibilities before, during, and after the interview.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What To Say If The Interviewer Asks For Our Weaknesses?
Every candidate will have some weaknesses. So, they must confess it. However, they must also tell how they try to overcome their weaknesses. Thus, the interviewer will get assured that the candidate keeps improving himself/herself.
- What To Do If I Get Interviewed For the Wrong Job?
You will come across strange questions if you get interviewed for the wrong job. Get it clarified if you think that you getting interviewed for the wrong position.
- Is Certification Required?
The experience gets prioritized over knowledge and the latter over certification. Certification will not work if you have no knowledge related to it.
- Do I Practice Before Every Interview?
Yes. Every job and company has different requirements. So, you must go through the job requirements every time and practice before the interview.
