Top Job Interview Techniques: How to Crush it in Your Interviews
Looking for some top interview tips to help you avoid the common pitfalls? Want to know how to crush it in your interviews? Thought so! We asked Reddit how interviewees bomb their interviews, and then we put together our killer job interview tips and techniques to help crush it. Take a look!
So, here’s what we got:
Interview Tip 1: Dress to Impress for Job Interviews
Treat your interviews like a casting call. You are about to audition to play a role in this company, so you’d better look the part.
Try not to show up to an interview dressed like a funeral director if you are there to speak with a marketing firm. A good rule of thumb is to check out their website for cues on your wardrobe choices. The website will be a good indication of how they see themselves in the marketplace. You’ll be on the right track if you try to emulate their choices.
Then, make sure your shoes are shiny and the tag on the back of your shirt isn’t flopped out. I know this might sound silly, but presenting yourself in the right way matters. Take a quick spin in front of a mirror to tighten up your look. (Another reason to arrive early!) You got this.
Interview Tip 2: Be Enthusiastic
There’s a fine line when it comes to enthusiasm. We get it, you don’t want to come off as wild and too excitable or unprofessional. But being present and engaged goes a long way. So, silence your phone and don’t let your thoughts wander off. Make sure the interviewer knows you’re interested in the job. If you can manage it, be friendly. See point number 1. You’re auditioning, so let them know you want to be part of the team.
Interview Tip 3: Come Prepared
It’s better to over-prepare and sound a touch rehearsed in your answers than to appear confused and flub your responses. So, get good at answering common interview questions. Practice your interview techniques and answers with a friend, mentor, teacher, parent, or anyone else willing to help you. And, be ready to talk about your skills and interests. Make sure your interviewer knows that you know how to solve their problems. After all, that’s what they want to hire you to do.
Interview Tip 4: Exude Confidence
Body language accounts for over half of business communication. If you slouch, look at the floor, and shrug your shoulders, you’re not going to lead the hiring manager to believe you can do the job. So, put on your power playlist and stand in a superhero pose. Strut around in your best outfit and drum up that confidence.
Here’s something to remember. That employer needs to hire someone and it might as well be you. So, don’t give them a reason to second guess your body language, handshake, or eye contact. If you need to pretend you’re wearing a crown or a cape, do it!
Interview Tip 5: Be Honest About Your Industry Knowledge and Skills
“I will ask you behavioral interviewing questions in the interview. If you say you can do something but cannot give me an example of actually doing it, you’re lying and you’re toast.”
“…otherwise, lying about qualifications on your resume (don’t list advanced Excel or Bloomberg knowledge if you have none).”
Do not try to B.S. your way through interviews. Most hiring managers can smell a faker a mile away. In fact, it has become such a common problem that many companies require skills assessments before they’ll even look at you. (That is why we offer them to basic talent members!)
If you don’t know a skill, that’s fine. Be honest about it and let the interviewer know that while you may not have X skill, you do have Y skill and that makes you feel confident you can learn X with a few YouTube tutorials. Many skills are cross-industry, so explain how your skills are applicable to their industry. In addition, if you go to an interview in a specialized field, know something about that field. For example, research some basic information about the company, its supply chain, and competitors.
Whatever you do, don’t waste your interviewer’s time by fibbing about what you know. The worst possible outcome is they hire you and you have no idea what to do, and burden the organization which invested their resources by hiring you. Just don’t do it.
Interview Tip 6: Be Early to Your Job Interviews
“To be early is to be on time. To be on time is to be late. To be late is to be forgotten.”
Be 15 minutes early for your interview. Make that a personal rule. To avoid running late, lay out your clothes the night before, check the traffic, and get yourself caffeinated, fed, and dressed with time to spare. Have your Uber or Lyft app ready if your bus is late, your ride flakes out, or your car won’t start. If you don’t know where you’re going, add another 15 minutes to find the right offices.
Arriving early lets the interviewer know key facts about you: you’re dependable, professional, self-directed, courteous, and a critical thinker. It doesn’t matter how good your school was. If you’re late, you get forgotten.
Interview Tip 7: Show You Can Solve the Company's Problems
Go into your interview ready to ask about what the company needs. Consider the following questions:
“What challenges is this department facing right now that I might be able to help with?”
“Where do you think the skills gap is in this area of the company? How can I best fill the gap?”
“What skills does the manager need in their department that they currently don’t have?”
Come prepared with solid questions about how your skills can solve the problems of your potential employer. Remember that they need to hire someone, and it might as well be you. So, in the same way, that you want to avoid lying about what you can do, don’t be shy about explaining what you can offer.
Summary: Killer Job Interview Tips & Techniques
Feeling more confident? Now you have a good idea of what not do to and some great interview techniques and tips to help you crush it in your interviews. pepelwerk has a vastly experienced team of recruitment experts and HR specialists. Plus, we have career coaches who can help you reach your full potential and find the right career path. And they can prime you for job interviews too.
Check out our career coaching page to learn more about pepelwerk career coaches and how they can help.