The first thing I do before I go to any interview is ask myself what my qualifications are for the position that they’re going to pay me to do. My answers can be as short or as long as I want and I wouldn’t change anything except to make sure what I’m saying exactly what the company wants. However, when it comes to applying for jobs, the most important skill I have is interviewing.
It doesn’t matter how good the questions are in this respect – if all the pieces are right, then you have done nothing wrong or unacceptable in the way you conduct yourself. If not, then you’ve got to get into some basic preparations beforehand, so that you can impress the interviewer with your presentation skills, knowledge and confidence.
Preparing for an Interview
I know what you’re thinking; “What does one really need to prepare for an interview?” In reality, there’s no point in doing too many things and forgetting all about what you have to say. So how can one tell their own story without help from others? Below are some ideas that I tend to follow before each interview:
Practice speaking naturally. Ask questions to learn more about the topic at hand and understand better what the interviewer is asking you about. Try to present yourself well within your comfort zone, taking in the details that you will mention and letting the interviewer know that you don’t know everything. Learn several different languages and try to practice using them without being embarrassed by speaking fluently. Don’t just look into the camera, give them what they want to hear. Express your interest with good eye contact and facial expressions when needed. Show off your personality and let them see your enthusiasm in your demeanor. Speak clearly and concisely. Stay focused and maintain your composure. Avoid giving false information and over-explaining yourself and giving out too much information. Offer up examples that show why you’re an able candidate who you want to represent the brand and the company. Make questions interesting and informative for the interviewer. Follow through on your response and repeat back after the interviewer for emphasis in case anyone has missed something. Do not interrupt the interviewer in any way. Keep eye contact with the interviewer, but keep your expression blank. Leave enough space and airtime for the interviewer to think and process and to ask for clarification. Remember, although this can seem daunting, it’s good to relax and take it slow. Give attention to details when it comes to answering the question. Answer questions accurately. Always finish your thought with a thank you and close with a smile, indicating gratitude for the time spent by you and the work you put into the hiring company. Be clear and accurate in your answers. You must not waste your time in such a critical time, and by knowing everything you could possibly ask for, know that you won’t miss out on any detail that makes you the finest candidate for the position in the world.
Hiring Company Practices
Most of the candidates and I I know our way of dressing and eating in front of the television. We know that we look good and our voices sound nice, so we look like them. But when it comes to our daily life, in order to achieve success, there are plenty of reasons for us to eat better, drink much healthier and exercise. Asking yourself how best you get your food is also very helpful and if you find you’ve forgotten to clean and change your bed sheets then again that’s fine. The only issue with this approach though is that we don’t know whether our actions are correct or not. However, the good old days in school is over now and I would never do what I did 20 years ago and guess what? Everyone knows that you should make sure you wash and iron up your clothes before changing them and I certainly never forget to iron and clean my hands after handling dirty dishes.
Hiring companies try to look for people who don’t mess around and leave evidence behind. We can see and hear it on TV shows where candidates leave stains, stains, stains, stains, bleaches and even toilet puke on their shoes and jackets and so on. This is bad for your health and the environment and I think it’s one of those things that requires people to get back to basics. Although we don’t all have the same mentality, everyone needs to bring back and follow some core values and practices. Some of these practices can help people start fresh when it comes to job interviews and so here are the top 5 rules with which every employer loves to comply:
No drinking water (unless it is filtered). No snacks before the interview. There is definitely a reason to ask questions about the job duties and responsibilities and that’s the reason why there’s different questions to ask at different stages. It’s not a good idea to drink alcohol throughout the interview; it takes away from the focus. No chewing gum as this removes oxygen-level of blood and may lead to headaches later on. No smoking in the interview. Smoking helps build up a person’s concentration and memory and the last thing anybody wants to do is burn themselves. And finally, no staring or fidgeting. This might feel weird because we can see eyes everywhere but staring involves looking straight at something while fidgeting means fidgeting about. This doesn’t happen anywhere else and not even in movies. Staring doesn’t exist in job interviews and so it shouldn’t be tolerated even when you’re watching movies. Most importantly, as someone said, eyes are windows, so look through it until it’s time to look away. Practice listening to the interviewer and taking their body language. Listen carefully to their tone, pronunciation, gestures and words and then make some sense of what they mean in their words and don’t respond negatively. Smile like you mean it and remember to stop and breathe, especially if you are nervous. Let them see you. A big smile is often the easiest thing to do. Maintain good eye contact with the interviewer throughout the length of the interview and at least once after the end to signal the interviewer that you’re interested in the company’s goals in question. Pay attention to the way the interviewer moves, walks and talks. Even the simple actions such as breathing and walking are seen as signals of someone who wants to be heard and is confident and organized about his or her thoughts and ideas. They don’t flinch when they talk to you and they respect you for the reason that you are putting in effort with the company and showing you that you are more than qualified for the job. Respect. When you ask questions and listen well, you demonstrate that you care. People who take questions seriously will take it seriously. Acknowledging the right thing to do is important when you approach them and then take those steps. If you genuinely want to be hired, then tell them that you want to work there and explain why you aren’t qualified for the job yet or give them a valid reason. It would help you to earn the trust and respect of a manager and eventually of other employees with whom you are working closely.
Preparing for a Job Interview
One thing that I usually know before I go to an interview is about my attitude towards them and even a small tidbit of pride when one asks me a question about the company’s products. Of course, talking before an interview is no less embarrassing so at first I’ll have to fake smile in front of the camera. Once the interview starts however, I’ll realize that I’m already facing them and I have a responsibility to play by their rules and standards. That’s when I’m prepared and ready to show up in such a good physical shape that I feel comfortable and secure during the interview.
When it comes to preparation, I always ask myself five questions. First, what am I hoping to accomplish from this interview? Second; why am I prepared? Third; how will I present myself to this person? Fourth; what kind of questions are there that I should ask? Fifth, and finally, what kind of answer I should give?
To summarize it all: You don’t have to be perfect in order to have a successful interview when preparing for job interviews. Preparation goes beyond simply asking the usual questions and remembering them. Having answers and evidence and being aware that you will probably need to answer questions that will require knowledge and experience in the field of business and in particular in the marketing sector. But the most important thing you have to do to become a star in the market is to get used to communicating with people. Work hard and remain positive. Take heed of the latest news that surrounds you because they will affect you and the organization. But above all, stay focused and do your best to prove you are worthy of your place in this world. Remember, your self-confidence depends on the amount of effort you are willing to put into a task. To sum up, I would recommend you to put aside 1 hour to prepare for your next career appointment but do it on another day if necessary. Good luck!