People from all walks of life may find themselves in the waiting room for an interview, drowning in their anxieties and nerves. Whatever practiced speech you had may or may not disappear the moment you enter the room.
Nevertheless, here are some simple tips to keep in mind during any interview!
- Be genuinely interested
Intently listen to your interviewer. It’ll show that he (or she) isn’t merely talking to an applicant, but to a person who cares about them and sees them as more than a means to an end. Keep eye contact throughout! Approaching the interview with genuine interest – not just an application, but as an opportunity to connect with a fellow human being – will pay off!
- Don’t pretend to know everything
It’s okay to sometimes respond with: “I don’t know” or “I’m actually not sure”. Pretending to come up with an answer to everything will be more obvious than you think. For safe measure, don’t end with that. Follow it up with a desire to know the answer. It will exude a teachable, interested, and curious personality. It’s okay to not know everything, so long as you’re willing to eventually learn it!
- Personalize your answers
Incorporate your experiences with your answers in healthy amounts. Oversharing can come off as boastful, while undersharing will make you appear inexperienced or too timid. Find the balance by practicing with your family or friends. Ask for their honest opinion of how you sound when talking about your achievements and success. You can thank them later!
- Be yourself
It sounds extremely cliché, but it can’t be any truer. It’s important to not pretend to be someone else. The company will take you for who you show them in that 20-30 minute interview. Show them your quirky, nerdy, or jologs side. It’s better to be turned down for being yourself than accepted for being who you’re not. It’s a long journey to be travelling as someone else – make sure you’re strutting your stuff as no one other than you!
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Freepik
