Recruiters are careful about the applicants they choose to interview because the faster they do their job, the faster they can go on to the next task. One thing recruiters don’t like is wasting time, so job applicants who are a great fit are more likely to be called in for an interview.
You’ve searched the job classifieds for weeks and finally nailed an interview. Here are a few tips to help you present yourself as the best person for the position so you get the job.
Offer the best reasons why you should have the job
Interviews don’t tend to last long, so making the most of your time is important. Prepare a list in advance of your selling points. You may want to include your experience, technical and soft skills, education, training, and accomplishments that benefited your previous company.
Ask a family member or friend to help you practice
A successful interview can depend on practicing your body language and what you are going to say. Appearing anxious during your interview may be a problem; however, by practicing your responses in advance, you will appear confident and sure of yourself. Ask a friend or family member to practice with you. If no one is available, practice in front of a mirror until you think you have it down pat.
Combine your skills
You may have good qualifications for your desired job, but others may have those same qualifications. See if you can combine several skills that appear on the job application to set yourself apart from other applicants. For example, if you have great computer skills and have also led project teams, point that out to the recruiter.
Find out about the interview format
Recruiters use various formats while interviewing candidates for a job. Knowing whether the recruiter will use standard questions, or, for example offer problems you have to solve can help you prepare in advance. What the recruiter is looking for is a creative person who is up to any challenge. There is no problem with asking the recruiter what type of questions will be presented during your interview, so go ahead and do it.
Keep your answers short
Droning on and on is a good way to lose the recruiter’s interest. By practicing, you can hone down your answers to one or two minutes. However, be cautious because memorized responses can sound stiff and robotic during an interview. Work at maintaining your natural voice so your answers sound unrehearsed.
Dress for the job
Of course you would like to go to your interview in your comfy jeans and sneakers, but that may not be appropriate. Look over the company to see how its employees dress, and copy that style for your interview. For example, if the employees wear suits, wear one. If they wear khakis and Hawaiian shirts, wear that. One important point is that whatever you wear, you should feel comfortable. While it might be tempting to go out and buy new clothing, if you aren’t comfortable, it will show during your interview.
Being prepared for an interview is just as important as finding a great position. You can improve how you do both by using successful tactics. Instead of searching for work through classified job ads, you can upscale your search by letting TheJobNetwork do your search for you. All you do is fill out your qualifications and job interests, and TheJobNetwork will send you email alerts for jobs. When you sign up with TheJobNetwork, you won’t miss out on any opportunities.
