Never go into a interview unprepared. Whatever you put into life is what you get out of it; if you put in some time to prepare you will see the great results. These top 13 general interview tips will get you going in the right direction.
Having a strong resume combined with practicing will have you going into interviews feeling confident and excited. Spend 30 minutes a day preparing for your interview and you’ll be amazed at the results!
- Practice, practice, practice! Practice answering questions, practicing the questions you want to ask them, don’t let the interview be the first time you are using the responses you prepared!
- Don’t discuss past rejections or conflicts, you will come off as a complainer.
- Always make eye contact but don’t constantly stare at the interviewer without blinking- that can get weird. Maintain normal eye contact and sometimes look away to break tension.
- Listening is an underrated interview skill. Be attentive to the interviewers needs, pinpoint them and show how your skills will help them achieve their needs.
- Be conscious of fiddling with your hair or your outfit. Keep your hands on your lap and try not to move around too much. Try and sit up straight and look attentive.
- Practice storytelling. Prepare detailed examples that show your skills in action and how you can be an asset.
- Rehearse examples of your flexibility, talk about times you had to problem solve and times you learned something new.
- Dress appropriately
- To avoid being nervous- practice
- Don’t get defensive or sensitive- answer everything objectively and answer only after thinking about it
- It’s ok to pause in between questions to think about what your going to say next
- Avoid words like “always” and “never” these words indicates a person who is very set in their ways and responds to change poorly- you want to show the interviewer how flexible you are
- Remember to smile
