7 Effective Tips for a Successful Interview

You have applied in a number of vacant positions in different establishments and have received an invitation to an interview from one of your prospective employers scheduled in a few days from today.

Interviews come with certain measure of anxiety for some people maybe trepidation especially for those relatively new to interviews and find themselves agitated by the process. The more experienced may find these sessions as challenging but with some degree of confidence depending on what the job offer entails. 

An impressive performance before an interview panel is not rocket science, there must be adequate preparations prior to the interview date irrespective of the number of times one would have attended interviews.

The workplace evolves regularly in varying degrees and expectations for both employers and employees and these keep changing depending on the job description, hence, update your skills regularly and keep up with the trends. You could have a ‘walk in the park’ experience before an interview panel with adequate preparations and end up as one of the shortlisted candidates to grab that job opening. Your status has now changed. Congratulations! Here are some tips to help you succeed in any interview.

Research The Organization

This is not a myth nor a cliché, it is a required intelligence to find out as much as necessarily possible about an organization you intend to work for some period of your life. I mean, besides wanting to prove that you had done your homework before the interview panel, you need the healthy dose of the information for yourself. Is it the type of work environment that you can thrive in, giving your best at all times? What’s the employee turnover like? Can you work with their remuneration rates? Words always go round, you know.

You owe it to yourself to know the answers to these questions and more, so that working will be a delight rather than duty. In my organization, we charge the staff to have fun. Is it possible to have fun while working? To a certain degree, yes.

Dress Smart

How you would like to be addressed? Nobody wants a scruffy looking employee, so look the part. It’s important to invest in good clothing. Here and now, I don’t mean expensive, except of course you’re already earning good money or have access to such clothing. Your clothing should be comfortable, ‘clean and crisp’, well ironed with a dash of cologne, try not to choke your interviewer(s), something mild would be most suitable except it’s a virtual interview, this may not be necessary. If you need a

haircut, by all means, please get one and ladies, your hair should be well groomed. Decency and moderation should be your goal whether you’re having a physical or virtual interview. When it comes to your appearance, remember that there is no second chance to make a good first impression.

Be Punctual

Punctuality is a hallmark for a good employee, it is revered in every establishment. For your own sake, being on time helps you to co-ordinate your thoughts properly. You cannot be scampering into your interview venue with a few minutes to your advantage or worse off, arriving late. You will most likely be disorganized with a thousand thought running through your head. Hahahaha… ask me about these thousand thoughts, it’s a story for another day. Whatever you do, never ever arrive late for an interview.

Techy?

It’s a digital world today and the workplace is getting techier by the day, I mean, today’s workplace is technology driven and digital literacy has become a priority on the skills list. What if your interview is a virtual one? How good are you with the video conferencing apps, among others, today Zoom is more

widely used. Not too long ago, my job required that I hired a needed staff, as much as I wanted to get the best out of shortlisted candidates using some critical internal requirements since most of the staff work remotely. One of the highest-ranking candidates shortlisted couldn’t seem to get her app working well. 

Her location was poorly lit, such that we couldn’t see her face clearly, she also had issues with her audio. I didn’t have all day for one interview, I told her to get her acts right and ended the meeting. Such inadequacy became a hinderance to an otherwise good opportunity.

Learn everything, experiment with stuffs, you never know what will pay off. I recently met a woman who had worked in the creche for an organization, when COVID-19 pandemic happened, her organization needed some tech hands and a superior remembered that her CV states that she has certain tech training that they required.

She got the needed promotion, a case of “preparedness meeting an opportunity”. What a big career leap! A Good CV Speaks Volumes For An Applicant

Your CV should be an attention-holder, a good CV should be well outlined from the most recent events to the later. So, revamp your resumé to always most likely end up among the shortlisted for interviews considerations. Avoid unnecessary typographic errors and as for your grammar functions, “Grammarly to the rescue”. I will prepare an article fully treating the subject of appropriate resume writing.

Watch out for it in this space. If you’re attending in-person interviews ensure to have sufficient hard copies. The electronic version should also be ready in PDF to forward on request, it is as good as your printed copy, your texts won’t run riot on you.

Job Knowledge

What are you bringing to the table? Why should you be the choice candidate to be shortlisted for the position you have applied for? Your would-be employer wants to see tact and what can be harnessed in you should they employ you. Your experience counts for much here.

What are you offering in exchange for the paycheck you expect. This exchange is worthy of note because that’s what employment is. ‘Exchange of your skills/expertise and services for the remuneration you receive from your employer’; this, I dare say, you may confidently quote me before any employer.

Confidence

There’s no harm in making it clear that sometimes, you may not have certain answers immediately but will always be willing to find workable solutions. That’s one of the reasons you will be engaged to learn and be able to solve problems. State your worth; how much do you want to earn? There’s no need for modesty in this stuff, make sure you know the prevailing rate for your talent or you’ll end up being miserable; be ready to negotiate. 

It is a quality that your employer will appreciate, a bargaining power is an advantage and don’t be afraid to walk away but also be sensitive enough to identify an opportunity of growth and career development and be ready to bend some of the rule. There’s no one cap that, fits all, in this case. If you have to stoop to conquer, by all means enjoy the phase.

Ask Questions and Say ‘Thank You’

Courtesy is a virtue of a higher order. After the round of interview questions and conversation, be ready to ask questions about the position you are applying for as well as certain questions that are critical to the organization and its product(s) and/or service(s). Before you proceed with your question(s), thank the panel of interviewers or the interviewer.

Let them know that you appreciate the opportunity provided by the interview session to connect with them and to share thoughts, opinions and perspectives. Then, go straight to your questions and be courteous. 

After your questions have been answered, just end with a ‘thank you’ and also ‘excuse me’ when you exit the interview room. Imbibing the culture of good manners pays off most often than not.

Finally, remember that you could be the next employee of that organization, it is therefore required that you conduct yourself in a manner befitting whatever position you have applied for.

If you can help it, let them see value beyond what they may be expecting. Once again, I say a big ‘congratulations’ on the success of this interview and for landing your next big job.