Arrive early (for both offline and online interviews), dress appropriately (read formally) and be confident– Your first impression matters!

Interview A or B, interviewer A or B- the questions almost remain the same. During an interview, you get the most common questions asked but what matters is how you present the answers. For example, when quoting that being a quick learner is your strength, club it with a real time scenario that you have been through. One needs to build a story for the same. It’s your story that stands you apart.

And the most important thing- an impeccable introduction. Ring the bell in the beginning and your chances of landing in the job become 10X.

10 Tips to crack any job interview

1) Read about the company and do a research beforehand

Read the company’s website and a few Google articles to get a fair idea about the company. Read the JD thoroughly to understand the requirements from your role. Do a statement of suitability beforehand against the education, experience, language proficiency, job knowledge, skills and abilities.

This will help you in answering common questions like: ‘What do you know about our company?’ ‘How well do you fit in the role?’ ‘Who are our competitors?’ etc.

2) GREETINGS with a SMILE

So common yet gone so wrong. It’s ok if you’re nervous. It’s ok if it’s your first time. It’s ok if it’s your 10th time. A greeting and a smile is all it takes to get positivity rolling.

I have had many discussions with senior officials of companies and all have agreed that a smiling face is the best to have in a room, whether virtual or in an office.

A “Hello” or “Good Morning’ with a smile is all it needs to get the right ball rolling.

Be confident when you walk inside the interview or virtual room. Look into the eyes of the interviewer and answer. This gives the right impression that you are confident about yourself and your answers.

3) TALK ABOUT YOUR STRENGTHS

You are surely to get this question. There are a lot of ways this question can be asked.

-Why are you suited for this company?

-What can you bring to the table?

-Why should we hire you?

-What makes you unique?

Prepare beforehand as per the JD and role requirement. Talk about your strengths that matter. Discount your strengths that do not matter. I had a interviewee who once answered, “I can sing very well.” So? How will it help on the job? I know that it’s nice to have a singer in your team but that’s not the job requirement. We can hear a song on Alexa or our phones to unwind.

Stick to your strengths that can highlight you.

4) GARB your WEAKNESS with YOUR STRENGTH

As cliche as it sounds, this question still gets asked. Nobody actually wants to hire a person with weaknesses. You can’t say that you are short tempered, reckless or a late comer. Talk about your weakness in a way that it’s beneficial for the company.

An interviewee once said, “I don’t sleep till work is finished.” Another said, “I make my team work extra to achieve the results.” Furnish examples for your experience to portray your weakness as your strength. It’s a good idea to explain why the weakness arises only in certain situations.

Tip: When it comes to responding to such questions, always begin with frequency. Your weakness occurs ‘sometimes’, ‘occasionally’ or ‘at times’. This reduces the severity of your weakness. 

5) Dress formally and be neat

Whether your job is front end or backend, whether it’s just sitting behind a desktop or whether you will work from home, dress formally and neatly for your interview. Girls, take care of you hair and keep jewellery to the minimum. Even keep your lipstick shade neutral that day. You’ll have your life to flaunt all that you have. Boys, clean shave or trimmed beard, your choice but keep it neat. A nice hair cut with neatly ironed clothes is a must. Do wear a nice perfume.

Make your first impression count and as a communication coach I can vouch for the fact that it’s the non verbal communication that makes the maximum impact.

Maintain a composed body posture as it speaks volumes. Sit straight, lean a bit which is natural while sitting.

6) PAST EXPERIENCES

One often gets asked about the past experiences.  

This question can be asked in the form of:

-What were your responsibilities in the previous organisation?

-Tell me something about your previous job? 

-How did you tackle your previous responsibilities ?

Talk about the following while answering this question.

• Role
• Duties
• Duration
• Achievements
• Special achievements

This is basically you spelling out your resume. This is also the question that will take you super close to being hired. Prepare well for this.

7) FUTURE PLANS

Most of the interviewers also ask: 

-What do you plan to do in future? Or

-Where will you see yourself in the next five years?

Covid has really changed the meaning of this question but it’s important for the organisation to know about your future endeavours. Your long term goal has to be in alignment with that of the organisation’s.

While responding to this question you must show them that you are

• Goal oriented,
• Highly motivated and
• Wish to be successful in life.

You also have to be honest. Don’t cook fairy stories. Own up all that you say. Be clear. It’s better to let go of a job if you can’t do justice to it.

8) THE TOUGH NUT TO CRACK QUESTIONS

An interview can go in any direction. There may come some questions that are tricky or tough. You cannot prepare for everything but you can prepare your reactions to such questions.

Tips to answer tough questions: 

• Step 1: Think out loud

• Step 2: Make a few assumptions and guesses or ask questions

• Step 3: Answer to the best of your ability

It is not necessary to give an immediate reply. It’s alright to take a minute or two to answer such questions. You can even accept that you don’t know the answer. You can even say that you’ll come back on it. The interviewers are fine if you don’t know the answer. Don’t give them any faulty or wrong answers. Everything is acceptable as long as you are true and fair.

Super Tip: If you don’t know the answer, it’s a good idea to tell the interviewer that you can find out the answer. Write a Thank you email post the interview and include your suggestions and answers.

You can read more about how to write such Thank you mails in this post of mine- Get that job with a different ThankYou email .

9) BE YOURSELF

Don’t fake it or change yourself to get the job. Everyone hires for long term and if you are unsure about your role, ask the relevant questions. If you have certain limitations, discuss pre hand. If the company really likes you during the interview, it will understand your limitations and provide feasible solutions.

I have seen many employees leaving in the first 3 months of the job. It’s a time wastage process for you and the company. This mostly happens because the interviewees are unsure of their goals, likings and capabilities. Do self reflection and write down your goals. Apply for relevant jobs which are in alignment with your goals and vision. Save yourself and the company the hassle of the interview process. It’s time wastage for both the parties.

10) CONCLUDE THE INTERVIEW ON A POSITIVE NOTE

Thank the interviewer for his/her time. Ask them questions about the on-boarding process. Tell them that you look forward to hearing from them. Leave with a positive body gesture like a smile or a firm hand shake.

Make use of these tips and land your dream job.

Good luck!

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