Mastering Interview Readiness
A major and frightening aspect of job hunts is the daunting interview process. Interview fear is a natural result of wanting recognition and acceptance from other people, especially from your prospective employers. While expressing themselves in a positive manner may come naturally to some people however, many are nervous about being asked questions about their careers or their previous accomplishments. Perhaps it is because of modesty or the discomfort arising from being asked questions about their personal life, the interview has become one of the biggest and most stressful parts during the selection process.
This doesn’t have to be the scenario.
Interviews are a crucial opportunity for applicants to showcase their abilities, achievements, and potentials. It’s been a while since you’ve made it through the first step with your resume passing its way through ATS scanners and getting a callback. The chance to show and elaborate on one’s profile, employment history and the most important skills and knowledge is the aforementioned way to get noticed when you convince the interviewer that you’re qualified that increases your chances of passing to the next step in the selection process.
You can, fortunately, prepare for interviews if you have fears about speaking about your accomplishments. Training is the key to success, and fortunately, interview questions can be practiced before the date. The key to flawless interviews is preparation. Here are some helpful tips you can implement to improve your chances of aceing that interview and impressing potential employers.
Make yourself comfortable when faced with tricky questions
Interviewers will ask you tough questions, in part, to get information from you however, also because they want to help how you can get rid of potentially contentious topics and concerns. Consider for instance the question "Why are you leaving your current role?"
The answer may be because of management concerns, or issues with work-life balance, etc. Whatever the reason however, the manner the way you frame your answer will demonstrate your capacity to be a fair and objective observer. Give a clear and honest explanation of your response in the most objective way feasible. This means that you should eliminate emotional responses like answers based on feelings or emotions that are not supported by actual facts.
Other questions to prepare for are "What motivated you to apply for this job?", "Why should us choose to hire you?", or trick questions like "Why do we not take you on?" The key is to not lose composure and organise your thoughts carefully.
Before speaking, outline your thoughts using the PREP method: POINT-REASON-EXPLANATION/EXAMPLE/-POINT. Start with your statement and then provide a concise note of the reason or reasons the reason you reacted in a particular way. Then, add details or go into more detail. After you have explained thoroughly you can go back to the previous section.
If you’re asked to describe your involvement in a task or project and you are required to describe your involvement, you could use to describe your involvement in a project or task, you can use the STAR Method, which is typically used to respond to selection criteria. When you use STAR you will need to write the Situation,followed by a Task,then a description of Actionstaken then the final result.
The body language
Behaving naturally in a stressful environment can be a daunting task, but you can always try to practice professional communication. Sit in front of a mirror or ask a trusted person to inquire about your concerns and observe your body language. Are you moving or fidgeting about nervously? Do you look rigid, aloof, defensive or shut off in your body or speech? Do you use appropriate gestures? Do your facial expressions match your message you’re trying to convey? Do you communicate openness, sincerity and genuine interest?
Be aware of your strengths and your weaknesses.
Prior to the interview, make sure you review the description of the position. Assuming that you’ve read the description and applied the roles and responsibilities listed within to customize and modify your resume and other document of selection, it is important to think about the job description and how you will describe yourself to the interviewer. Be upfront and honest about your strengths and weaknesses. Being honest regarding your strengths will allow the interviewer to see your strengths as a potential client. However, signalling your intent to work on your weaknesses will be just as notable.
Prepare questions
Another key aspect of the interview is showing genuine enthusiasm in the role and in the business. The best person to inquire questions is your interviewer. If you’ve seen something that’s interesting in the job description, or if you have questions that have not been answered on their FAQ page or guide questions (which typically are found in the job application or their general hiring page about section) Bring them up during the interview, when your interviewer is encouraging you to ask questions. Some of the questions you could ask your employer
"How do I become the most suitable person for the job, should I be given the chance to work with you and your colleagues?"
"Does the company have any major projects on at the moment"
"What are the opportunities to advance and further education?"
Be aware of your salary expectations
The salary package and other benefits are usually advertised alongside the job (or within a set of options when applying via SEEK). However, the interviewer may ask you how much you’re expecting to earn. The most important thing to do is include a range that you’d like your pay to fall instead of offering an exact or fixed number. Try to keep your range tight instead of giving a wide margin. For instance, if think you will earn $75,000 in a year, a good range would be in the $73,000 to $80,000 range, or anything in the range of $10,000. Also, be aware of other perks and benefits also and take these into consideration when you think about your salary goals.
These steps to prepare in your back pocket is essential to be prepared with the confidence to answer the toughest questions. Be confident, be self-assured and courageous.
For help with the recruitment process, documents and certificates, as well as for interview preparation, get in touch with Perth Resume. Our highly skilled and knowledgeable consultants can help you through your preparatory phases. Contact us today for an complimentary quote or to call us directly to speak with one our consultants at 02 7910 6323.
