Interview Readiness Blueprint
The most daunting aspects of job hunting is the daunting interview process. Interview fear is a natural result of wanting to seek acceptance and approval from others and especially your potential employers. Although talking about oneself may come naturally to some people but others feel nervous about being asked questions about their career or past achievements. Perhaps because of modesty, or the anxiety that comes from being asked personal questions interviews have turned out to be one of the biggest and most intimidating parts during the selection process.
This doesn’t have to be the case.
Interviews are a great way for the applicant to showcase their abilities are, their achievements, and potential. You’ve been through the first step, with your resume making its way through ATS scanners and your name being selected for an interview. This opportunity to present and elaborate upon the profile of your employer, background as well as the key skills and experience is the equivalent of getting a entrance into the interview: if you convince the interviewer that you’re a good fit this increases your chances of passing the next stage of the final selection process.
It is a good idea to prepare for interview questions if you’re struggling with fears about speaking about your achievements. The practice is essential and luckily, interview questions can be practiced prior to the time. The key to a flawless interview is preparation. Here are some tips that you can follow to boost your chances of nailing the interview and impressing prospective employers:
Be comfortable with difficult questions
Interviewers pose challenging questions partially because they wish to gather information however, also because they want to help you get out of potential contentious issues and issues. For instance, consider the question "Why are you resigning from your current position?"
The reason for this could be due to management issues, or concerns regarding work-life balance, for instance. Whatever the reason but the way that you express your response will signal your capacity to be a fair and objective observer. Be honest and articulate your response in the most objective way can be. This means eliminating all emotional responses, like answers that are based purely on feelings or sentiments and do not have any basis in actual facts.
Other important questions to ask include "What did you do to get this position?", "Why should we hire your services?", or trick questions like "Why do you not employ you?" The key is to stay calm and plan your thoughts well.
Before speaking, outline your thoughts using the PREP method: POINT-REASON-EXPLANATION/EXAMPLE/-POINT. Begin with your topic and follow with a brief reason or summary as to why you responded a certain way. Then, add examples or further elaborate. Once you’ve thoroughly explained then return to your previous point.
Similarly, if you are requested to provide a description of your participation on a project or task, you may apply the STAR Method, which is typically used to respond the selection requirements. When using STAR the first thing you need to do is write the scenario,followed by a Task,then a description of Actionstaken as well as the Result.
It’s all in body language
Acting naturally in a stressful situation could be a tall order However, you can learn to communicate professionally. You can sit in front of a mirror or ask a trusted person to ask you questions and observe your body language. Are you shifting or fidgeting around with a nervousness? Do you look intimidating, stiff, defensive, or closed off in your body language? Do you use appropriate gestures? Are your facial expressions in line with what you want to convey? Do you convey sincerity, authenticity and genuine interest?
Be aware of your strengths and weaknesses.
Prior to the interview, be sure to review the job description again. Assuming that you’ve read the description and utilized the roles and responsibilities outlined in the description to make changes to your resume and other documents for selection It is essential to review the job description to clearly describe yourself to the interviewer. Be honest and upfront concerning your abilities and shortcomings. Being truthful about your strengths will allow the interviewer to notice your strengths as a prospect. However, showing your determination to address your weaknesses will also be relevant.
Prepare questions
Another important aspect of the interview is to show genuine interest in the role and in the business. The best person to ask is the interviewer. If you’ve seen something that’s interesting in the job description, or if you’ve got any concerns that weren’t answered through their FAQ or the guide questions (which can be found in the job packet or the general page for hiring About section) You can raise them during the interview, when your interviewer is encouraging you to ask questions. The most interesting questions you could ask your employer:
"How do I become the most qualified person for this job, should I be given the opportunity to work alongside the team?"
"Does the company have any major projects in the pipeline in the present"
"What are the chances to further develop and learn?"
Be aware of your salary expectations
Salary packages and other benefits are usually advertised alongside the job (or in a variety, if applying through SEEK). However, interviewers could ask you how much you’re expecting to earn. The most important thing to do is give a range of where you’d like your pay to be, rather than providing an exact, fixed amount. Make sure to keep your range as narrow as possible instead of offering a a wide margin. For instance, if you anticipate earning $75,000 per year, a reasonable range would be in the $73,000 to $80,000 or anything in the range of $10,000. Also, be aware of other benefits and perks too and think about these when you think about your salary goals.
These steps to prepare in your back pocket is essential to equip yourself with the capability to handle the toughest questions. Be confident, be self-assured and bold.
For help with the recruitment process, documents or credentials as well as interview preparation, reach out to Perth Resume. Our highly skilled and knowledgeable consultants will be able to guide you through the interview preparation steps. Contact us today to receive an complimentary quote or phone us directly to speak with one of our consultants on 1300 312 711.
