Top 3 Ways to Ace Your Interview
When you are applying for a job, it is important to have your interview skills honed. Some of us may think we are good at thinking on our feet. And, that’s great if you can come up with a great answer to a question. Others, need more time to think and process the question.
There are positives to thinking quickly on your feet and positives to taking your time answer. However, I strongly advise for whatever position you are applying get practice, get some feedback, and understand your why.
#1. Practice
You know the saying, “practice makes perfect”, right? Practice may not always perfect, however. Practice may make you sound like you are rehearsed and your answers may not sound sincere. You want to sound authentic and sincere. You want to put your best foot forward. You want the job, right?
I would review some questions that you may be asked. What are some of your initial thoughts when answering these questions? Write these thoughts down and then review to see if your thoughts/answers respond correctly, or how may want to hear someone answer.
Second, I would record how you answer questions. Listen to how you sound. Do you say a lot of filler words like, “um” or “you know”. Are is your pitch and cadence? Do you understand what you are saying? Are you speaking clearly? Basically, practicing and listening to a recording will let you see if you interview well. Would you hire you?
#2. Grab a friend/family member to do a mock interview
Once you have practiced answering questions and listened to your recorded voice, find someone who will do mock interviews with you. You can get several different to ask you questions one at a time or in a panel mock session. Ask some of them to be the cheerleaders and supportive when asking questions. Ask others to ask the tough questions and be stern. You never know what can happen prior to your interview. An interviewer may be having a bad day and now they have to do this interview. Their bad day may be affecting their mood and their bad mood may affect your interview. You need to be prepared for all the curve balls.
After your mock session, ask your friends and family to give you feedback. Maybe there are things that you can improve on. Maybe there were things you have in the bag. You get to understand how you communicate through this exercise. And with the help from friends and family, you know you have a cheerleading squad rooting for you!
#3. Understand you real purpose for applying the job
Sometimes we need to dig down as to why we are wanting the job. Is it just to have a job or is it to advance our career. Whatever it is be truthful with your reasoning behind applying to the job. When you are in the interview, be truthful too. Again, people know when you are not being truthful and when you are not sincere.
Further, do an assessment of your strengths and weaknesses for the job. Make a list and bullet point your strengths and weaknesses. Under each bullet point write a sentence or two expanding the strength and weakness. Look over your assessment and see if it makes sense to you. Then, think about how you would answer that question, “What are your strengths and weakness related to this job?” Think about, and you can write it down, how you would answer that question. Refer back to your list.
Regarding your weaknesses, you can make a plan of how you plan to make those weaknesses into strengths. Now, you may not have to talk about this in interview but, it would be to have plan made just in case they ask something similar. Or perhaps you may want to offer that information when talking your weaknesses. Maybe there is a course or class offered by the company that you feel could help turn a weakness into a strength. This would definitely let your interviewers know that you are not only insightful but also proactive and are a go-getter.
Interviewing is a skill. The best way to get better at a skill is practice and find strategies to improve that skill. You are an intelligent person who know where they want to go. You can do this! Be true to yourself when answering the interviewer’s questions. Let yourself shine!