Optimizing Your Interview Preparation
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 and especially your potential employers. While speaking about themselves may be natural for some but others feel nervous about being asked questions about their professional or previous achievements. Perhaps because of modesty, or the discomfort arising from being asked to answer personal questions interviews have turned out to be one of the most stressful parts of the hiring process.
This doesn’t need to be the case.
Interviews are a great way for the applicant to showcase their abilities, achievements, and potentials. You’ve already passed the first step with your resume passing an appearance on ATS scanners and you being selected for an interview. This opportunity to present and elaborate on the profile of your employer, background and the most important skills and experience is the equivalent of getting a entrance into the interview and if you can convince the interviewer that you have what it takes, it boosts your chances of passing the next stage of the final selection process.
There is no need to be worried about preparing for interviews even if you’re having concerns about presenting your personal achievements. Practice is key and luckily, interview questions can be practiced in advance. The key to flawless interviews is preparation. Here are some helpful tips you can use to increase your chances at nailing that interview and impressing prospective employers:
Learn to be comfortable around difficult questions
Interviewers pose challenging questions mostly because they are trying to get information from you, but also, because they want to see how you can get rid of potentially contentious issues and worries. Consider, for instance, the question "Why are you resigning from your current job?"
The answer may be because of managerial issues, or worries regarding work-life balance, for instance. No matter the answer however, the manner that you formulate your answer will demonstrate your ability to be an objective and fair observer. Give a clear and honest explanation of your answer with as much objectivity as can be. This includes removing emotional responses like answers that are based purely on feelings or sentiments and do not have any basis in actual facts.
Other questions to consider include "What inspired you to apply for this position?", "Why should we choose the person we chose to hire?", or trick questions like "Why should be able to not choose you?" The key is to remain calm and organise your thoughts carefully.
Before speaking, outline your thoughts using the PREP method: POINT-REASON-EXPLANATION/EXAMPLE/-POINT. Introduce your idea and then follow it up with a short argument or explanation of why you chose to respond in a specific way. Add examples or further elaborate. After you’ve clarified your points thoroughly, go back to your previous point.
Also, if asked to describe your involvement in a project or task and you are required to describe your involvement, you could use an approach called the STAR Method, which is typically used to respond to selection criteria. When using STAR you will need to write an scenario,followed by a Task,then a description of the actionstaken, and lastly, the Result.
The body language
Acting naturally in a stressful environment can be a daunting task However, you can practice professional communication. Place yourself in front of a mirror or ask a trusted friend to ask you questions and observe your behavior. Are you moving or fidgeting around in a tense manner? Do you appear stiff, standoffish, defensive or aloof in your body expression? Do you use appropriate gestures? Do your facial expressions match the message you’re trying to convey? Do you convey authenticity, openness, and genuine interest?
Take a look at your strengths and weak points.
Prior to your interview, make sure you go over the job description over again. Assuming you read the job description and applied the roles and duties listed in it to alter and personalize your resume as well as other selection documents It is crucial to review the job description in order to accurately describe yourself to the interviewer. Be open and honest on your strength and weakness. Being truthful about your strengths will allow interviewers to recognize your unique selling points as a prospect. But, indicating your intention to address your weaknesses will be just as significant.
Prepare questions
Another crucial aspect of an interview is showing genuine interest for the position and the company. The best person to inquire questions is your interviewer. If you noticed something interesting within the description of your job, or if you have questions that have not been answered through their FAQ or guide questions (which can be found in the job description or their general hiring page about section) You can raise them at the conclusion of the interview, after your interviewer encourages you to ask questions. Some thought-provoking questions you may ask your employer
"How can I be the most qualified person for this job, if I am given the opportunity to work alongside members of your staff?"
"Does the company have any major projects on currently"
"What are the potential opportunities for advancement and further training?"
Know your salary expectations
The salary package and other benefits are generally advertised with the job (or on a list for those applying through SEEK). However, interviewers could inquire about the amount you expect to earn. One important tip is to include a range that you’d like your pay to fall rather than giving an exact or fixed number. Keep your limit to a narrow range instead of providing an expansive margin. If, for instance, you expect to make $75,000 a year, a reasonable range would be in the $73,000-$80,000 range or anyplace within the $10,000 range. Be mindful of other benefits and perks in addition to these when you consider your salary goals.
Having these preparatory steps in your bag is vital to equip yourself with the confidence to answer the toughest questions. Be confident, be self-assured and be courageous.
For assistance in recruitment-related documents and certificates, as well as for interviews, please contact Perth Resume. Our friendly and highly trained consultants are able to help you with your interview preparation stages. Contact us now for your free quotation or to call us directly for a chat with one of our experts on 1300 993 659.
