Job Interview Tips to Land Your Dream Job!

Congrats on landing your job interview! But let's face it, a job interview can be daunting, with many not knowing the skills required to improve their chance of being hired. If only being hired was as simple as placing your resume and cover letter. However, if you know the preparation and skills to succeed in an interview, you have the best chance of maximizing your potential of being hired.

So how does one sell themselves when in an interview? That's where this post comes in. In this post, we’ll share the tips and tricks that will help you stand out in your interview and leave an impression on your potential employers.

1. Critically Examining the Job Description

The first step is to fully analyse and understand the skills and tasks needed in the job. This will be outlined within the job description, with many interview recruiters focusing a section of their questions around the job description.

When you are analysing the job description, brainstorm talking points for each technical or hard skill listed for the job. To further highlight your skills in an interview, link back to either a professional or personal experience where you used the skill. Examples to focus on are any accomplishments, milestones, and goals that tie back to the skills for the job.

2. Research and Understand the Company

Now examining the job description is only one part of your preparation for the interview. To further improve your chances of being hired, you have to understand and research the company that you are interviewing for. Several ways to do this are by;

• Visiting the company website.
• Find the company's social media accounts.
• Check the reviews on the company.
• Look into their competitors.

By understanding the company you're interviewing at, you effectively communicate your interest to the interviewer. This promotes a positive attitude and helps accelerate your chances of being hired. In addition, your research will help you craft effective answers and responses in an interview as well as align yourself with the company.

3.Prepare and Practice Questions

Once you have completed your research, it's now time to prepare and practice questions. Preparing and practicing responses to common interview questions is key as it helps to present confidence to an interviewer. In addition, you are able to highlight information that you want the interviewer to know such as your skills, personality, and experience. Several questions that are commonly asked are;

• Tell me about yourself
• What are your strengths/weakness?
• Tell me a time you made a mistake. How did you handle it?
• What do you know about this company/organization?
• What are your salary expectations?
• Why should we hire you?
• Do you have any questions for us?

When practicing, it's beneficial to create a mock interview either with friends, family, or with a professional interview coach. This provides you an opportunity to practice and receive feedback and tips on improving your interview skills. Another way to practice is simply writing down your responses. This can help in rehearsing as well as to highlight the skills you want to present in an interview.

4.Plan Your Outfit Appropriately

Nothing screams “hire me,” in an interview like a clean, sleek outfit, but what does that actually mean for you? Well, the best outfit for your interview should follow the employer's dress code. This can be done by researching the company via its website or social media accounts. Images of the employees will often showcase whether to opt for a more professional or smart casual look for your interview. For any doubts, you can always call or email the interviewer to ask what acceptable attire is required for the interview.

5. Plan The Right Time To Arrive.

The best way to ruin your interview is to arrive late. However, being too early can also cause problems. Arriving early can often cause problems for an interviewer's schedule and leave a bad impression on the hiring manager.

So then what time should you arrive?

It's recommended to arrive around 15 minutes before your interview. This allows you a few minutes to check in, use the restroom if needed and familiarize yourself with your surroundings. It's also good to note that some interviewers will request for you to arrive earlier, this is often for you to fill out any paperwork.

6. Project Positivity!

So you’ve finally made it to the interview, but how do you further improve your chances of being hired? Well, it comes down to your personality. The employer understands you have the qualifications for the job, but they also want to see that you are fit for the company culture. That's why a positive attitude is key to standing out.

A great way to showcase this is just by weaving in personal stories that are relevant to the interview. Ensure you do not dwell on any negative experiences and don’t be afraid to implement a touch of humour to the story. If you are doing a face-to-face interview, use open and confident body language to present a better appearance in the interview.

7. Finally Follow Up.

Okay, so you’ve done the interview, is there anything to do after? Yes! Make sure to follow up a job interview by using a thank-you email. This demonstrate your interest in the job and enables you to stand out after the interview. Keep the thank-you email short and sweet as well as mention any specific highlights about the interview and how you look forward to hearing from them.

Here's an example of what it could look like:

Dear [Hiring manager’s name],

Thank you for your time, [today/yesterday], and consideration. I sincerely enjoyed our conversation about [ highlight interesting things learned about employer/s or the company.] I look forward to hopefully working together in the future.

Cheers,

[Insert name]

And that's it! Hopefully, this post helps you in your next interview to land your dream job!

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