Mastering Interview Readiness
One of the most frightening aspect of job hunts is the daunting interview process. It is a normal result of wanting to seek recognition and acceptance from other people and especially your potential employers. While speaking about themselves may be natural for some, others are apprehensive about being asked questions about their work or prior achievements. Perhaps because of modesty, or the fear of being asked questions that are personal to them, the interview has become one of the most intimidating aspects in the process of hiring.
This doesn’t have to be the situation.
Interviews are a crucial opportunity for applicants to showcase their abilities as well as their accomplishments and capabilities. It’s been a while since you’ve made it through the first step and your resume has made its way through ATS scanners and getting a callback. This opportunity to present and elaborate upon the profile of your employer, background as well as the key skills and abilities is the proverbial entrance into the interview when you convince the interviewer that you’re qualified, it boosts your chances of getting through the next phase of the selection process.
It is a good idea to prepare for interviews in case you’re experiencing doubts about speaking about your own achievements. It is important to practice and, fortunately, interview questions can be rehearsed prior to the time. The secret to flawless interviews is preparation, and here are some suggestions you can follow to boost your chances at nailing that interview and impressing potential employers.
Make yourself comfortable when faced with tricky questions.
Interviewers pose challenging questions in part, to gather information, but also, since they want to help how you can get rid of potential contentious issues and worries. Consider for instance the question "Why are you resigning from your current role?"
The answer to the question could be due to managerial issues, or worries with work-life balance, etc. Whatever the reason, however, the manner that you formulate your response will signal your ability to be a fair and objective observer. Respond honestly and explain your reasoning with the greatest objectivity can be. This includes removing all emotional responses, like answers based on emotions or feelings and do not have any basis in factual evidence.
Other questions to consider include "What made you apply for this role?", "Why should we hire you?", or trick questions such as "Why do you not choose you?" The key is not to lose your cool and arrange your thoughts with care.
Before speaking, outline your thoughts using the PREP method: POINT-REASON-EXPLANATION/EXAMPLE/-POINT. Begin with your topic and follow up with a short reason or summary as to why you chose to respond in a specific manner. Then, add details or go into more detail. Once you’ve thoroughly explained, go back to your previous point.
If you’re asked to write about your involvement on a project or task then you can utilize the STAR Method, which is typically used to respond to selection criteria. If you are using STAR it is necessary to describe a Situation,followed by a Task,then a description of Actionstaken as well as the results.
The body language
Behaving naturally in a stressful situation could be a tall order, but you can always try to practice professional communication. You can sit in front of a mirror or ask a trusted person to ask questions of you and observe your behavior. Are you fidgeting or shifting around in a tense manner? Are you looking intimidating, stiff, defensive or aloof in your body language? Do you use appropriate gestures? Do your facial expressions match the message you’re trying to convey? Do you communicate openness, sincerity and genuine concern?
Consider your strengths and weak points.
Prior to the interview, ensure that you go over the job description over again. Assuming that you’ve read the description and used the roles and responsibilities outlined therein to modify and customise your resume and other selection documents, it is important to consider the job description in order to accurately prepare yourself for interviewers. Be upfront and honest on your strength and weakness. Being realistic about your strengths will enable the interviewer to see your selling points as a potential client. However, signalling your intent to improve your weaknesses will be just as important.
Prepare questions
Another important aspect of the interview is to show genuine interest for the position and the business. The best person to ask questions is your interviewer. If you noticed something interesting in the job description, or if you have any questions not answered by their FAQ page or guide questions (which are typically found within the job packet or the general page for hiring about section) Make sure to bring them up after the interview when the interviewer is encouraging you to ask questions. Some of the questions you could ask your employer are:
"How do I become the best person for the job, if I am given the opportunity to join members of your staff?"
"Does the company has any major projects going on currently"
"What are the potential opportunities to further develop and learn?"
Know what your salary expectations are.
The salary package and other benefits are usually advertised alongside the job (or within a set of options in the case of SEEK). But, interviewers might inquire about the amount you anticipate earning. One important tip is to include a range that you’d like your pay to fall instead of offering an exact or fixed number. Make sure to keep your limits to a certain extent instead of allowing a an expansive margin. For instance, if you anticipate earning $75,000 per year, a good range would be anywhere in the $73,000 to $80,000 area or anything in the range of $10,000. Be mindful of other perks and benefits too and think about these when you consider your salary expectations.
The preparation steps you have in your bag is vital to equip yourself with the readiness to face the toughest questions. Be confident, confident, and confident, and be bold.
For help with the recruitment process, documents or credentials as well as interview preparation, you may contact Perth Resume. Our highly skilled and knowledgeable consultants will be able to help you through your preparatory steps. Contact us today to receive your no-cost quote or phone us directly to speak to one of our consultants at 03 8779 2533.
