A successful job interview is a key skill for anyone seeking a new job or promotion. Regardless of how much advice is available or received, the key to any successful interview is preparation. Candidates should be prepared for all aspects of the interview as it progresses and each aspect requires a different level of attention. The job market is more competitive than ever, and there may be hundreds of other applicants gunning for your dream job. So what have you got to do in an interview to convince the hiring manager that you were made for this job? Here are my top 3 tips for a successful job interview:
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Evidence
An employer is making a substantial investment when hiring. They’re not going to want to trust it to chance – they want to see evidence of your talents. It’s not enough to say you can do the job, you need to cite examples of what you’ve done that proves to a prospective employer that you can do the job. Give clear examples of your achievements and how they relate to the job you’re applying for.
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Know the Company
Take your time and understand fully the position you’re applying for. Research the company, research the people at the company. Everyone does this to an extent, but you need to go deeper. You can be sure that your interviewers will have heard dozens of applicants regurgitate press releases and content from the company website. One of the interviewers probably wrote some of that stuff. To get their attention you need to display a deep understanding of the company’s philosophy, goals and future direction. These can be gleaned from annual reports, videos of talks given by the CEO or interviews with executives. Try to get in contact with people who work at the company through sites like LinkedIn. Getting an inside perspective of the company can be invaluable in getting noticed.
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Be Enthusiastic
Ok, so you can prove your ability with examples of your work and you know your stuff about the company, but this is no good if you approach the interview with the wrong attitude. You may be nervous – that’s ok, everyone gets nervous at interviews – but you’ve got to channel that into energy and enthusiasm. If you can’t energize yourself for the interview, your prospective employer is going to wonder what you’ll be like on a grey Monday morning in November. In a close-run contest it’s the candidate who displays excitement at the prospect of working there that will get the post.
