Job Interview Tips : How can I be Successful in an Interview?

How to prepare for job interviews? What to say or how to introduce yourself?

Job Interviews: 17 Do’s and Don’ts You Need To Know

A successful job interview requires preparation in advance. In this article of Virlan, we are going to review the things you need to do before starting a job interview.

The days, hours, and especially minutes before starting a job interview can be stressful. This is especially difficult for those who are not sure about the upcoming meeting, the questions or their own ability to answer.

Important points for having successful job interviews

The minutes before starting a job interview are very important. If you can manage to consider the following tips before starting this process, you will easily get the job position you want.

1- Arrive early in job interviews but don’t enter the meeting

As we’ve said earlier, you will be stressful and nervous before the job interview. The stress will also increases as time goes by. If you arrive late for job interviews, the stress will multiply and peak.

Late arrival can causes problems in two ways. The first problem is that the person will rush to the meeting and this makes him/her twitchy and nervous. So he will completely lose his focus.

The second problem is that, the employer will have a negative first impression based on your poor punctuality!

Contrary to popular belief, it will not be helpful to arrive earlier than scheduled. According to David Parnell, a successful legal counsel and communications instructor, early presence at job interviews puts unnecessary pressure on the interviewer. This will change the pre-scheduled plans.

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It is not a good idea to enter the company building and wait there, as it can make you more nervous. The best thing you can do is to wait in your car or a nearby cafe. Then at the right time, you can enter the building and wait for your interview.

2- Keep calm

Hormones such as cortisol and epinephrine are released in your body when you are under stress. Depending on how much stress you are experiencing, the hormones will have different effects on your ability to think efficiently.

You need your mind to be free and think correctly. Because it is a prerequisite for a successful job interview. You must prevent the release of stress hormones in your body.

Staying calm in the minutes before and during the interview allows you to listen better and have a better understanding. This increases your focus and you will have best response to the questions asked.

Otherwise, the best answers you have already thought about will disappear during the interview.

3- Breathe

Breathing is one of the key points which leads to the previous point, “stay calm”. One of the best ways to control and suppress your stress is to count the number of breaths and exhales. Just focus on the process of your breathing, and count your breaths and exhales. When you reach the number 10, repeat this process again.

4. Review your notes briefly before the job interviews

Before starting a job interview, you should make some notes about important informations such as, the name of the interviewer or the titles of job position. If you have difficulty answering some questions, include them in a separate note to reduce your stress before the job interviews.

Being calm and fluent is one of the key points to impress the interviewer. This indicates your high knowledge and ability. In all job interviews, a series of questions are always asked. An example is “talk about yourself”. The answers to these questions should be prepared in advance and reviewed just before the interview begins.

5. Do not do any additional research

Although you can research, prepare and practice before the job interviews, you should not engage yourself in a series of completely new information. Some information like company’s recent great achievements are completely irrelevant and will distract you from key information!

6- Do not check your email

Checking email, voicemail, or even social media can lead distraction. It is better if you stay focused on the meeting.

7- Check the company’s Twitter and LinkedIn before job interviews

As we said, minutes before the job interview is not a good time to engage with new information, figures or social media content. However, Twitter should be considered as an exception.

It is not a bad idea to have a brief look at the company’s Twitter account. You will have some relevant information about company and it’s recent events. If you ignore the company and its news, you will have a negative impact on the interviewer.

8. Decide on one or two important things about yourself

Some job interviews take place in several sessions over several different days, each of which is related to a different subject. One of the most important and basic parts of an interview, is getting to know the job seeker.

That’s why you need to get enough information about yourself before a job interview! To this day, you may not have thought about your strengths, weaknesses, unique traits, and other ethical and behavioral aspects.

Think about one or two important characteristics that others know about you, and answer very firmly after the interviewer asks a question about it.

Managers of some companies believe that people can progress very quickly and make up for their shortcomings through training, but their mental characteristics can not be changed in a short time. For this reason, they place more emphasis on the psychological part than on the technical part.

9- Do not review too much

Excessive review before the interview causes two problems. In the first place, you are constantly putting yourself under stress. Another problem is that your conversation may seem scripted and inauthentic to the interviewer.

Job interviews are not exams. They are just like some conversations between two or more people. That’s why you need to talk fluently to impress the interviewer. Pre-meeting review is about memorizing important concepts, not a series of inauthentic sentences.

10. Organize your bag

You should organize your bag. In this way, when the interviewer requests a resume or other documents, you don’t have to dig inside your bag. When you search for something in your bag, you are openly portraying yourself as a disorganized person. Such a person might not deserve to be hired!

11- Check yourself in the mirror before job interviews

Use any mirror around you. If you are waiting in the car (based on the first point), use the car mirror. Otherwise, go to the bathroom. Clearly, having a nice appearance is a key point in getting the interviewer’s attention.

12. Be friendly to receptionists and security guards

Before the interview, you should go through the guards and talk to receptionists. Be kind and friendly to anyone you meet along the way. After you leave, the interviewer is likely to ask them about you.

13. Pay attention to your posture

The interviewer may monitor your behavior after entering the place and before entering the meeting room. This is one of the key points in understanding a person’s personality traits. How you sit says a lot. He will even evaluate your self-confidence based on that.

14. Be aware of what’s happening around you

Paying attention to the environment helps you understand important things about the company. These things show what is important for the company. You can show your intelligence and accuracy by mentioning these points during the job interview.

15. Drink water

Do not forget to bring water. Drinking water is one of the most important ways to practice the second point, which is to stay calm. Water will also cool you down and clear your voice. Another advantage of having water in your bag is that you don’t interrupt the interview process to request water.

16. Ask wise questions

You should bring a series of questions to ask the interviewer. However, it is also a good idea to observe different aspects of the company and ask some specific questions about them.

17. Think about happy thoughts during job interviews

Although this may seem like a cliché, many people forget it during their job interview. By reviewing good and happy thoughts such as getting the desired job position and promoting in it, you will get rid of stress.

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