Optimizing Your Interview Preparation
The most difficult aspects of job hunting is the fear of an interview. The fear of an interview is a natural consequence of seeking approval and validation from others, especially from your prospective employers. While expressing themselves in a positive manner may be natural for some but others feel nervous about being asked questions about their career or past successes. Perhaps due to modesty or the fear of being asked to answer personal questions interviews have turned out to be an extremely stressful parts that are required to hire.
It doesn’t have to be the situation.
Interviews are a great method for applicants to showcase their abilities are, their achievements, and potential. You have already completed the initial step and your resume has made an appearance on ATS scanners and your name getting a callback. This is the chance to showcase and elaborate on your resume, experience, and key skills and expertise is the proverbial step to the front when you convince the interviewer that you’re the right candidate you increase your odds to be selected for the next phase of the final selection process.
It is a good idea to prepare for interview questions if you’re struggling with doubts about speaking about your achievements. Practice is key and, fortunately, interview questions can be rehearsed prior to the time. The key to flawless interviews is preparation, and here are some helpful tips you can implement to improve your chances of nailing the interview and impressing your prospective employers:
Get comfortable around tricky questions
Interviewers will ask you tough questions, partially because they wish to elicit information as well as because they want to see you come out of potentially contentious topics and issues. For instance, consider the question "Why are you leaving your current position?"
The reason for this could be due to problems with management, or concerns regarding work-life balance, for instance. No matter the answer, however, the manner that you express the answer will indicate your capacity to be a fair and objective observer. Be honest and articulate your responses in the most objective way is possible. This means that you should eliminate any emotional responses , such as responses based on feelings or sentiments that are not supported by facts.
Other important questions to ask include "What motivated you to apply for this job?", "Why should we choose you?", or trick questions like "Why should us not employ you?" The key is not to lose your cool and organize your thoughts in a systematic manner.
Before speaking, outline your thoughts using the PREP method: POINT-REASON-EXPLANATION/EXAMPLE/-POINT. Start with your statement and then follow it up with a short reason or summary as to the reasons you responded in a certain manner. After that, you can add specific examples or provide more details. Once you’ve thoroughly explained you can go back to your original point.
In the same way, if you’re requested to provide a description of your participation in a task or project and you are required to describe your involvement, you could utilize to describe your involvement in a project or task, you can use the STAR Method, which is often used when responding to selection criteria. If you are using STAR, you must state a situation,followed by a Task,then a description of the actionstaken then the result.
All it is in the body language
Being natural in a stressful environment can be a daunting task However, you can make sure you are practicing professional communication. Sit in front of a mirror or ask a friend you trust to inquire about your concerns and observe your behavior. Are you fidgeting or shifting about nervously? Are you looking intimidating, stiff, defensive or reserved in your body or speech? Do you use appropriate gestures? Are your facial expressions consistent with the message you’re trying to convey? Do you communicate genuineness, honesty and genuine enthusiasm?
Be aware of your strengths and weaknesses.
Before you go to the interview, ensure that you go over the job description over again. If you have read the job description and then used the roles and responsibilities described in it to alter and personalize your resume and other documents for selection It is essential to think about the job description to clearly prepare yourself for interviewers. Be upfront and honest concerning your abilities and shortcomings. Being realistic regarding your strengths will allow the interviewer to notice your unique selling points as a potential customer. But, indicating your intention to address your weak points will be equally notable.
Prepare questions
Another crucial aspect of an interview is showing genuine enthusiasm about the job and the company. The best person to inquire is the interviewer. If you’ve noticed something you like on the resume, or if you have any concerns that weren’t answered by their FAQ page or their guide questions (which can be found in the job application or the general page for hiring about section) Bring them up after the interview, after your interviewer asks you to pose questions. The most interesting questions you could ask your employer include:
"How do I become the most qualified person for this jobif given the chance to work with your team?"
"Does the company has any major projects going on currently"
"What are the chances to further develop and learn?"
Be aware of your salary expectations
Benefits and salary packages are typically advertised along with the position (or as part of a range, in the case of SEEK). But, interviewers might want to know what salary you’re expecting to earn. An important point to remember is to give a range of where you would like your salary to be based instead of giving an exact, fixed amount. Be sure to keep the limit to a narrow range instead of providing the possibility of a large margin. For instance, if you expect to make $75,000 a year, a reasonable choice would be anything from the $73,000 to $80,000 or anywhere within the $10,000-$10,000 range. Be mindful of other benefits and perks also and take these into consideration when you think about your salary expectations.
Inputting these steps into your bag is vital to ensure you have the ability to tackle the most difficult questions. Be confident, feel confident and courageous.
For assistance in recruitment-related documents and credentials , and also for interview preparation, you may reach out to Perth Resume. Our friendly and highly trained consultants are able to assist you in your preparation phases. Contact us today to receive your no-cost quote or call us direct to speak with one of our consultants at 1300 185 218.
