Some top tips for Job Interviews
After you have gone through the process of preparing your credentials and applying for a job, it is rewarding to be offered an interview.
However, preparing for and attending an interview presents it’s own challenges.
If you want to do well at an interview, it is necessary to prepare for it. This preparation begins with researching the business or employer who is offering the job. For example, find out if the challenges or growth of the business in general impact in any way on the specific job you have applied for.
Use this information during the interview. It will go a long way towards boosting your credibility if you demonstrate an understanding of the business or organization who is your potential employer. It also shows the interview board that you are genuinely interested in the post for the right reasons.
Furthermore, it will allow you to formulate intelligent, insightful questions to ask during the interview itself. This preparation allows you to tailor the facets of your previous experience to meet the challenges and future developments of your potential employer.
The next stage is to become familiar with the skills required for the job. These can be specific to the post in question or more general ones, for example: organizational skills, leadership, the ability to take initiative and problem-solving.
During the interview you may be asked how you would deal with a specific situation as a way of getting you to demonstrate your competency or potential for same. Use your previous experience and respond in terms of giving specific examples as evidence of your abilities in this area. It is only by using examples that you can demonstrate that you have these skills. Making assertions that you do without giving examples will not suffice.
If you are asked why you are leaving your present position, reply in a positive fashion rather than negatively.
It is a good idea to conduct a “mock interview” with a friend or family member as a way of preparing for the real thing. This is also helpful in reducing anxiety and stress about the interview itself as well as giving you a boost in confidence from the practice effect.This role-playing will stand you in good stead for when the time comes to do the interview itself.
It is better to consider questions and reply to them after some reflection and in a comprehensive way(with examples from your own experience as appropriate) than to reply in a hurried, disorganized fashion which can happen when anxious or stressed;all the moe reason to prepare by practising in advance.
It is probably fair to say that even though the credentials of your application are the means by which you obtained the interview, your interview performance will be the primary factor in the panel deciding whether or not you get the job.
The tips and suggestions in this article should be useful in making your interview experience a positive and successful one so good luck with your job application and interview.
