Prepping Effectively for Interviews
Perhaps the most intimidating aspects of job hunting is the dreaded interview round. The fear of an interview is a natural result of wanting to seek recognition and acceptance from other people in particular from potential employers. While expressing themselves in a positive manner may be a natural thing for some but others feel nervous about being asked about their work or prior accomplishments. Perhaps out of modesty and the anxiety that comes from being asked personal questions Interviews have become one of the biggest and most intimidating aspects in the process of hiring.
This doesn’t have to be the situation.
Interviews are a great opportunity for applicants to demonstrate their skills as well as their accomplishments and capabilities. You’ve passed the first step and your resume has made an appearance on ATS scanners, and your name getting a callback. This opportunity to present and further elaborate on the profile of your employer, background as well as the key skills and knowledge is the aforementioned step to the front when you convince the interviewer that you’re a good fit that increases your chances to be selected for the next step of the selection process.
You can, fortunately, prepare for interview questions if you’re struggling with apprehensions about talking about your achievements. The practice is essential and luckily, interview questions can be rehearsed prior to the time. The key to flawless interviews is preparation. Here are some guidelines you can follow to boost your chances of nailing the interview and impressing your future employers.
Get comfortable around tricky questions.
Interviewers will ask you tough questions, mostly because they are trying to gather information, but also, because they want to help how you can get rid of potentially contentious questions and worries. For instance, consider the question "Why do you want to leave your current job?"
The answer may be because of 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. Respond honestly and explain your answer with the greatest objectivity can be. This means eliminating any emotional responses , such as responses based on emotions or feelings that are not supported by factual evidence.
Other questions to be prepared for are "What motivated you to apply for this role?", "Why should we hire us?", or trick questions like "Why do we not take you on?" The key is not to lose your cool and arrange your thoughts with care.
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 argument or explanation of why you chose to respond in a specific manner. Then, add specific examples or provide more details. Once you’ve explained everything thoroughly the topic, return to the previous section.
Similarly, if you are requested to provide a description of your participation in a project or task and you are required to describe your involvement, you could apply the STAR Method, which is commonly used to respond to selection criteria. When you use STAR it is necessary to describe a context,followed by a Task,then a description of the actionstaken as well as the final result.
The body language
Being natural in a stressful situation could be a challenge However, you can make sure you are practicing professional communication. You can sit in front of a mirror or ask a friend you trust to ask questions of you and take note of your actions. Are you shifting or fidgeting about with anxiety? Are you looking rigid, aloof, defensive or shut off in your body language? Do you use appropriate gestures? Are your facial expressions in line with what you want to convey? Do you show genuineness, honesty and genuine concern?
Be aware of your strengths and weaknesses
Prior to your interview, you should review the job description once more. Assuming that you’ve read the description and used the roles and duties listed within to customize and modify your resume and other selection documents It is crucial to look at the job description to clearly package yourself for the interviewer. Be honest and upfront regarding your weaknesses and strengths. Being realistic regarding your strengths will allow the interviewer to note your selling points as a prospective client. However, signalling your intent to improve your weaknesses is just as important.
Prepare questions
Another crucial aspect of an interview is showing genuine enthusiasm in the job and within the company. The best person to approach is the interviewer. If you noticed something interesting in the job description or you have questions that have not been answered on their FAQ page or guide questions (which typically are found in the job packet or in the general page for hiring About section) Make sure to bring them up during the interview when the interviewer is encouraging you to ask questions. Some thought-provoking questions you may ask your employer
"How do I become the most qualified person for this job, should I be given the opportunity to work alongside your team?"
"Does the company have any major projects on currently"
"What are the opportunities to further develop and learn?"
Be aware of your salary expectations
Other benefits and packages for salary are typically advertised along with the job (or within a set of options if applying through SEEK). However, the interviewer may want to know what salary you are expecting. The most important thing to do is give a range of where you’d like your salary to fall rather than giving an exact, fixed amount. Be sure to keep the limit to a narrow range instead of providing any wide range. If, for instance, you are expecting to earn $75,000 per year, a sensible choice would be anything from the $73,000 to $80,000 or anyplace within the $10,000 range. Also, be aware of additional perks and benefits as well and consider these when you consider your salary goals.
Inputting these steps into your bag is vital to equip yourself with the confidence to answer the toughest questions. Be confident, be self-assured and bold.
For assistance in recruitment-related documents and credentials and for interviews, please get in touch with Perth Resume. Our professional and friendly consultants will be able to help you with your interview preparation phases. Contact us now for your complimentary quote or contact us directly to speak with one our consultants at 1300 648 974.
