Impress during your next interview with these time proven tips

Are you skilled at what you do, but unsure if you can impress during a job interview? Don’t worry, it’s very common and you’re not alone. In the end, you don’t interview every day. For many people years go by before they decide to interview again. Interviewing for a job is a skill in itself. And we want to help you set yourself up for success with these tips that many of our candidates have found helpful.

Firstly remember,

Interviews are an opportunity to present yourself to a company and sell your personality, skills and knowledge in order to secure a position and further your career.

Seeing the interviewer as a client instead of a potential employer and promoting the benefits you offer is vital. Below are a number of key steps and considerations that can help you to perform to the best of your ability in any interview:

• Use examples when answering
  Don’t just say “Yes, I’ve done that” followed by crickets. Interviewers like to hear concrete examples to be more confident about your answer. So use the STAR Technique (Situation, Task, Activity, Result/Retrospect). Eg, “I’ve done that during my time at Company X, where I was faced with ABC. I undertook these ABC actions and XYZ was the outcome.”
• Prepare 5 questions to ask.
  Both for you to find out if this is the right opportunity for you and to show the interviewer that you are serious about the job, that you are well prepared and excited. We suggest that you prepare at least 5 questions and to write them down and bring your notepad. Any employer prefers an over-prepared over an under-prepared applicant.
• Ask open questions.
  You will traditionally get a lot more out of the interview by using questions that start with “explain to me”, “talk me through”, “describe to me”, “how' and 'why”.
• Focus on your experience, negotiations come later
  At this stage focus on trying to get to the next stage, don't get into negotiations on hours, start date, salary or any areas like that. Make sure you focus on your skills and experience. This is the stage where you show the value you bring to the table. It will set you up better for the negotiation phase later.
• Build rapport. Be yourself
  Remember, the people on the other side of the table are also humans. Don’t come across transactional, but build a human connection. It helps the interviewer to get an impression how well you would fit with the team.
  You could break the ice by bringing up something you read on their LinkedIn or elsewhere on the web. Eg a school they went to, a company they worked for, a language they speak, a charity they support, etc. This also shows you’ve done your homework.
• Go in with a Go-Get mindset
  Ie, don’t wait until they’ve sold the role to you before you try your best. It may be too late by then. Aim to get the opportunity. You can always say “no” if you don’t like it.
• Did you enjoy the interview?
  Tell them! Many people forget to do this but it makes a lot of sense. Ask how soon you will hear from them and make it clear that you are interested.

Common mistakes

1. Answering a question you didn’t fully understand.
   Clarify the question. Take the consultative approach and gain greater understanding so you can give the most accurate answer.
   • “Could you repeat the question?”
   • “Could you elaborate on….?”
   • “To make sure I understand correctly, you want to know XYZ....?”
   • “Could you clarify what you mean?”
2. Not knowing your what’s on your own resume.
   Don’t want to be caught off guard? Have a read through your own resume before going into the interview. Interviewers will think you’ve exaggerated, or worse lied, on your resume if you don’t know what’s on there.
3. Not asking any questions during the interview.
   Most interviewers see this as a lack of interest and it’s just an awkward way of finishing an interview. Always have 3-5 questions written down. You look more prepared that way too.
4. Not doing your homework and reading about the company and interviewers
   There are still old school interviewers that start the interview with “What do you know about us?” They’re not necessarily looking for a long answer. They just want to know how seriously you’re taking this interview, since they are investing time as well.

Questions that you can ask in any interview:

What do YOU like about working for the organization?
Managers never expect this question and it helps you gain understanding of what the company is like.

What does your onboarding look like?
Will help you understand how much support there is when you start and if you’re set up for success or left to sink or swim.

What will be the main challenges in this role?
Helps you have the right expectations so you don’t glorify or underestimate the role.

How is success measured in this role?
Again, will you be set up for success and measured in a relevant way?

In 6 months, what would you expect of me to have achieved?
Are their expectations reasonable?

These tips have been shared for over a decade and we still receive very positive feedback each time we send them to our candidates. We hope you find them helpful as well. However, please do contact us if you need further help, even if we haven’t been the one that introduced you to your potential new employer.

Follow us here on LinkedIn for more wisdom nuggets about securing your next role or leave your details if you’re looking for your next MS Dynamics opportunity.

Written by Rory de Goede, Founder & Director of The Good Talent