An Ultimate guide for Interview Strategies!!

The key to landing a job is a strong interview. Although a great resume is also an essential component of an effective job search, it is undeniably in the interview that you eliminate your competition and establish yourself as the front-runner. In applying strategy to your message you inspire the interview team’s confidence in your abilities, and confidence in their ultimate choice: You!

An Insider’s Perspective

Job hunters mistakenly assume that interviewers know exactly what sort of applicant they want. But oftentimes the interview team is composed of staff who have only a superficial knowledge of the position’s needs, do not know the existing team dynamics, and do not know of upcoming challenges. What they do know is that they desperately want one candidate to stand out as first choice, and make their selection straightforward.

The person who gets the offer is not necessarily the one who will perform best in the job; it is the one who interviews best. This means addressing the interview team’s main concerns. The best candidate proves she or he can do the job (has the skills and past experience), is a minimal risk (no red flags), is a good fit (easy to like), and will accept the money offered.

Your outfit

“Dress to impress” is the basic motto for every job interview regardless of the industry. The most ideal way to be positive that you look right is to take a good hard look in the mirror and check to see if the individual staring back at you makes you think just two words: neat and clean. Most likely those interviewees that show up wearing wrinkled pants and dirty shirts will be shown the door before the interview starts. This doesn’t just apply to the clothes you are wearing. Proper grooming of facial hair for men and makeup for women is essential to complete the overall look.

Sell Yourself

Know what you are going to say about yourself before the actual interview. Remember, you are basically selling yourself to the potential employer, but you never want to come off as arrogant. The interview process will most likely be controlled by the interviewer, who will reference your resume to gather a little more information about your talents and abilities. Be sure to know all of the facts beforehand so that you don’t stumble over any questions. Remember, there is always the possibility that there will be curve balls thrown at you, so preparation for the interview is absolutely essential; know yourself, and what you need them to know about you as well.

You can now put your insider’s knowledge of the interview process weakness to your advantage. Begin by sharing what is seldom heard at an interview: describe your personal attributes-work ethic, reliable attendance, record of pitching in and helping, the passion you have for your work and how you get in early or stay late-of course stick to attributes authentic to you. Now build on this with specific stories of how these aspects benefited past employers: how your insight into marketing helped your department win a bid on a national job that contributed to a 120% growth in revenues; how your ability to troubleshoot quickly saved a crucial order from missing a deadline, thus retaining a $2M account; how your strong work ethic contributed to your company achieving its ISO Certification; how your cross-training regularly comes in handy on the shop floor.

Develop a conversation (as opposed to the typical question and answer format) by asking questions of the interviewer-questions about the company and the position. Respond to the answers with related details that reaffirm your suitability. Sell yourself into the job.

Stay Positive

Do not, under any circumstances, mention any negatives. No need to grumble that your current boss is truly unbearable; that your employer’s payroll cheques are bouncing; or that you are leaving your position because you are being bullied. Do not provide the team with any reason for your elimination.

An interview is stressful for the interviewer too; a fact that interviewees don’t always realize. After all, a lot of money rests on a good hiring decision. Take advantage of the “inside scoop” to establish yourself as the best choice and get ready to accept an offer.

Always close the interview meeting with a meaningful thank you – showing that you value their time, and a firm handshake that clearly conveys your confidence. The interview is not the time to be shy and coy, it’s necessary for you to show how truly appreciative you are of the interviewer’s time to ensure that it certainly wasn’t wasted.

After the completion of the interview, it is always a good idea to follow it up with a “thank you” phone call or perhaps even a handwritten letter. Doing this will more than likely give you an edge over the rest as it is a practice that seems to have gone out of style? Bring it back, it’s a classy way of doing things and it always shows that you really mean business.