Is there a sure shot strategy to ace a job interview? Can we figure out any set patterns in the course of a job interview which can be handled by developing the corresponding interview skills? The answer to both these questions is ‘No’, not sure. The reason behind this answer is that an interview takes place between two completely unpredictable psychological beings, each with their own peculiar personalities, life experiences, and working styles.
Still experienced interviewees as well as interviewers would agree on the fact that any interview breathes between certain set parameters only. These parameters can be easily alienated into set patterns and one can devise strategies for handling job interviews by acing these common patterns across which any job interview is stretched.
Learning about these patterns will even help you to win the first 2 minutes test during a hiring interview. Let us discuss these patterns one by one and the basic strategy one must adopt to succeed in any job interview.
Writing a compelling resume with professional summary is the first step of this strategy as first getting a interview call is crucial, only then the job interview strategy comes into play.
Listen to and Speak for Equal Duration – Interview Skills
At times, to hide your anxiety or to display the array of knowledge base you possess, you tend to speak more than listen during an interview. Ok, you are being interviewed not them, you have every right to speak, express, gesticulate and use every possible tool to make yourself understood and accepted. The only problem is that you forget to include listening into your posse of such tools.
The problem with considering listening as a powerful communication weapon too is that it feels passive by nature, and Interview is the ground where activity is cherished the most. Religiously practice active listening skills, punctuating the conversations with breaks of silence can speak more than words. Over speaking can project you as someone who doesn’t care about others.
Speaking too less can raise suspicion as if you are trying to prevent something from your past to tumble out of your mouth. Both, speaking and listening must be given their due space. Let the interviewer finish their sentences before you would want to respond. Wait for the sign from the interviewer that they have finished talking and now should speak.
Two Minute Rule – Interview Skills
The duration you must speak for has also been established by various studies in the field. Even if you are a good listener you may tend to over speak in case you are very comfortable with the answer asked for. Educate yourself on how to speak the right way in professional situations. .
It is safe to speak not less that 20 seconds and not more than two minutes for questions which do not involve discussing examples and proofs of past experiences. sometimes even two minutes can be too much if you do not have something concrete and required to fill into them.
One of the most significant interview skill to be learnt is to be able to fathom the expanse of how much is being asked and what all has to be accommodated within it. In case the interviewer has asked multiple questions in a certain sequence answer the same in the same sequence adhering to the befitting duration for each one of them.
Following this interview skill strategy projects you as someone who has good comprehension abilities along with an effective expression. Of course, additionally, confidence as a skill gets displayed by default.
Stand with Solutions not the Problems
One of the main reasons why employees are hired is to solve the problems associate with the existence of the organization or the enterprise. Though, today we have software that can help us solve a lot of problems which can be identified empirically and the solution so delivered is also more of a empirical statement.
These technologies are inept in solving human behavioral issues, which can only be handled by a human which which possess certain personality traits. The purpose of the hiring interview is also to identify those traits in the prospective employees so that that can add value to problem solving on day to day basis.
Employers do not want complainants, they are ready to pay for only the ones who display problem solving tendencies. These tendencies are difficult to fathom in a time bound tet-e-tete like a hiring interview, still the interview can give across certain signals and hints, during the interview which can goad the interviewer to believe in your problem solving skills.
Your interview skills must include your ability to subtly put across your adherence to punctuality, time management, drive and the right attitude to achieve the targeted results. Show them that you are good at people management, are self-disciplined, have initiative, are flexible in your approach, fast learner, accommodating of sudden changes, and love your job not just the paycheck.
Being creative at problem solving skills and self motivated, all these will portray you as a problem solver and not a complainer as a employee. Aptly display you foresightedness, integrity and loyalty at its best. If handled well, your interview skill as selling yourself as a problem solver can help you land the dream job, even if some other minor things do not fall in place for you.
Display your Work with Evidence
Make sure that you not give yourself away as some one who does achieve their targets but the path to achieving them is slipshod, unorganized, and lack of thoroughness. These are the qualities any employer would be looking for in the hiring interview.
Focused on the targets and achieving them is one thing and achieving the same with excessive cost and time involved is another thing. The targets must be spoken about in terms of numbers and time slots within which they were achieved. Carry proofs of past achievements wherever possible.
An artist, or a creative person can carry an image or a video to be displayed if required. Managers and technical people can carry prints of any awards or appreciations received during their tenure in another organization. Asking for and maintaining a repertory of testimonials whenever and wherever possible is a rewarding habit and presenting them to the interviewer, only when asked to, in a unassuming manner is a very critical interview skill one should possess.
Never Speak Foul About Past Employers
There is a famous belief, ‘ the one which gossips to you will definitely gossip about you’. This is a psychological fact and employers do know it by experience. All employers consider themselves as belonging to a common class which provides employment to the employees.
Anything bad said about one, of them to another pricks the belongingness to this coterie of theirs, infusing a sense of negativity against you during a job interview. Moreover, you are even viewed as being non accommodating of others peculiarities and differences you may have with them. It also kind of gives a naive like quality to you.
The candidates which the employers would shortlist for hiring are expected to be mature enough to be accommodating of the differences with bosses and fellow workers as all organizations will have the same basic set of human incompatibility issues in one form or the other.
Always talk good and graciously about your past employers by highlighting their positives as the bosses. This will also speak about and your ability to judge those qualities, and your inclination towards imbibing the same. This will propel you towards being a team player, the quality sorted by al employers.
In case you are in a situation where the interviewer knows your previous boss, or a feedback from him would be necessary for your employment. Use the appropriate body language for interviews, conveying sincerity, and tell the interviewer that though you had never had a problem in gelling with anybody in the past but due to some reason we couldn’t get along. Also mention that you are aware of the importance of being able to connect with everyone and would make sure that it is never repeated.
All Answers are in Five Basic Questions
The interviewer, employer has as many fears about making a wrong choice in hiring the right candidate for the given job as much as you are petrified of the looming possible rejection. During a hiring interview your focus as a prospective candidate is on proving how good you are at certain skills, which are in demand in the job market, and what rich experience of learning abilities you posses.
The employer is more concerned about whether or not they need you skills, and if yes how much of you can actually benefit the aim and vision of the organization . You may be very good at certain things but are those things really required to be able to be productive in the organization you are being interviewed for.
The focus of every interview is the organization not you; the best interview skill you can acquire is to present your skills and traits from the employer’s point of view. For doing that you need to first understand that point of view. All of the concerns and requirements of the employer are basically hidden in basic five questions they want a satisfactory answers to.
These questions are the gist of all the other questions the employer is going to ask you in a job interview in order to determine your fit for the said job. They may not be directly putting these questions to you but definitely want to be convinced on the answers connected with these basic five concerns of any employer, asked in whatever form they choose to.
The questions are:
Why do you want to join me and not someone else?
Here the interviewer is asking the reason behind why are you sitting here with them. They want to have clarity on how much do you know them and why do you thing you fits them better than anybody else.
A person who goes to give an interview without even finding out about the organization and the reason why would they want to be working there is someone who is not clear about his / her goals and how to achieve them. Here, you are expected to talk about the organization you are sitting with and how do fit into it.
Why should we as an organization hire you?
This questions wants to know your skills and how can hiring you benefit the organization. Can you help us solve our problem by finding corresponding solution? The employer wants to know about the entire gamut of skills, hard as well as soft, you possess and how can you productively put them to use.
What kind of personality do you possess?
Are you a people’s person, someone who is easy to get along with, can you get along with any personality types. Do you have some values and does those values and believes match up with us. Are you gregarious or a loner as a person? What kind of work environments are you most comfortable in?
As an employee what is unique about you?
by asking this question the employer wants to know why should they hire you over others. What difference can you make in the organization which the others cannot. Do you have any unique selling proposition on you.
The uniqueness can be anything from behavioral skills to an eye for detailing. here you are given an opportunity to stand out from among the crowd of the seekers of the same job. In order to win at his first you need to know yourself better vis-a vis the job in question. After which, how you put it across to the interviewer is your interview skill.
What is your expectation on the compensation part?
This is a very crucial questions because even if you fit into all other criteria you will not be a productive worker till you are satisfied with the salary you will be compensated for with. The interviewer would want to know your expectation in order to know what is your understanding of the market value of the skills you think you possess.
Can the business model of the organization afford you with your salary expectation. You have to fit into their skill set requirements and their budget in order to get hired at the first place. The employer wouldn’t want to hire someone who is too good or too bad for the job. What they are looking for is the right fit!
Conclusion:
irrespective of the job content, all the employers would want to look for certain common traits and skills in the prospective employee. Having these common traits is crucial to the existence and functioning of any business setup. They look for good comprehension ability, effective expression.
Additionally they expect the candidate to be a problem solver, can prove their achievements with evidence, and possess a positive outlook on life. Mastering these skills takes training and time.
Other Informative Articles….