How to Succeed in a Job Interview

When you feel nervous about your upcoming job interview, try to see it as an opportunity to take a step forward in your life. If you really learn and answer the employer’s questions confidently, then you are facing a great opportunity to get the job of your dreams. If you are not successful, you will also learn useful lessons to do better next time.

Table of Contents

Prepare in advance

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Find out about the company you’re applying for. The first thing you should do after being invited to an interview is to research the company. Find out the mission of the company, how long the company has been in operation, the number of employees and your position in the company if you are hired. Remember the company motto, if applicable. Make sure to know as much about the company as possible so you can impress the recruiter and show that you’re really interested in the company.

There are many ways to show that you’re well informed when interviewing. You might say, “I’ve read everything about the school’s mission, and I think it’s a great goal to contribute to the cause of free education for all.”
You should also show them that you are familiar with the requirements for the position. If you know what qualities employers are looking for, it will be easier to impress them and show that you have those qualities.

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Find out about the interviewer, if possible. If you can take a few minutes to get to know the person you’re interviewing for, know what college they went to, where they’ve worked before, and everything else about them, you’ll have an edge in the interview process. question. While it goes without saying that you’ve researched them on the internet, if you can find something in common with them, such as by chance they both worked at the same company five years ago, what This can give you one more advantage.

You can check their profiles on LinkedIn or on other career networks for more information.
However, you should not get caught up in personal matters. Don’t mention what you find on the interviewer’s profile.

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Be prepared to answer common questions. While not all interviews are created equal, there are a few questions many employers ask, and it’s good to have some answers ready so you don’t get surprised or seem like lack of preparation. Here are some questions you should pay attention to:

“What are your greatest strengths?” Choose one or a few strengths that make you a good fit for the position you’re applying for, and provide specific evidence that you have those qualities. Remember to include advantages related to the job you are aiming for.
“What are your biggest weaknesses?” Don’t answer “I often work too hard” – this is heard many times! Instead, pick a weakness that isn’t too important for the position you’re applying for, and say you’re trying to improve. You might say, “My weakest point in teaching is my time management. I used to be so engrossed in lectures that I tried to give too much information in one session, but now I know how to break up my sessions into 5-minute intervals and make sure I only cover what I know. that students can absorb in a lesson.”
“Why do you want to work at the company?” Do not tell the employer that you want to get the job because only this company invites you for an interview. Instead, mention as many things as you like about the company, in as much detail as possible; In addition, show why you think you are a good fit for the company and have the ability to contribute to the company.

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Be prepared to ask at least 2 questions. At the end of the interview, the interviewer will ask if you want to ask them anything. You should prepare at least several questions and choose the most relevant ones; This shows that you are interested and interested in the position you are applying for. If you just smile and say you don’t have any questions, they may find you not very enthusiastic. Here are a few things you can ask:

The details of the job that you want to learn more about
Ask about daily activities at work, such as how much time you will spend working together with colleagues
Ask about what they love about working at the company
Ask about other areas where you could be involved in the company beyond the job description. For example, if you are applying for a position as a high school teacher, ask if you can participate in extracurricular activities.

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Practice with friends. If you want to feel confident when you come to an interview, it’s a good idea to practice first with a friend or with someone knowledgeable in your field. This can help you practice answering assertively, controlling your body language, and being confident in the skills you demonstrate during the interview. This is also a great way to reduce your pre-interview nervousness and build the confidence you need to attend the interview.

You can even dress smartly for the practice session so you don’t feel embarrassed when you dress like that for the real interview.
Ask your friend for honest feedback on how you could have done better in the interview. However, that friend has to praise more than criticize in order for you to feel more encouraged

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Prepare to explain why you are a good candidate for the company. You also need to be prepared to explain why you are the right person for the position you are applying for. Find out about the company’s employees and the qualities the company values most in relation to the position you are targeting; Use current buzzwords to show that you have those qualities and why you’re the right person for the job you’re applying for. Here are a few suggestions:

“I understand that good communication skills are essential for this position, and I would be a great fit given my many years of experience in management, coaching and recruiting. I have been in contact with employees, customers and managers over the years and have learned to give positive feedback and respectfully discuss areas that can be improved.”
“I really like the teamwork that this position entails. I work well in teams and have collaborated with many colleagues in my current job, and I am very willing to bring that experience to the company.”

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Be prepared to bring everything you need. It’s important that you prepare everything you need the day before the interview so that you don’t have to rush to that important day at the last minute. Usually, you will need to bring your resume and cover letter as an introduction to the interview, but you will also need to bring other resumes that can help you make a good impression on the employer about yourself. yourself and the work you do.

For example, if you are applying for a teaching position, you may need to bring an old teaching outline to demonstrate the job you are capable of.

Perform well in the live interview

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Professional in dressing. If you want to make a good impression, you must start by dressing professionally. Do not waste money if you have to invest in an outfit suitable for the office environment. The right outfit for an interview can help you land the job you want. Even if the interview office looks laid-back, it’s better to dress a little more formally than to be too casual in front of a well-dressed recruiter.

You also need to remember to take care of your appearance and pay attention to personal hygiene. If you don’t put in the time and effort to take care of your appearance, it will show right away.
Try on your interview suit at least a few days in advance to make sure it looks good on you and doesn’t cause embarrassment. You probably don’t want to put on your new clothes just an hour before your interview to find out that the salesperson forgot to remove the security tag on your shirt.

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Arrive at least 10 minutes earlier than scheduled time. Showing up a little earlier shows that you are punctual and really serious about your work. Moreover, if you rush to get there just in time for the interview to begin, you won’t have time to calm down and clear your mind. If the employer sees that you can’t even show up to an interview on time, they’ll think it’s hard to expect you to be on time in the future.

Even if you arrive early, you should leave your coffee cup behind before entering the room. Your image will look sloppy if you show up with a cup of coffee in hand.
If you arrive half an hour early, wait outside or sit in the car. Don’t show up too early and confuse the interviewer because they’re not ready to meet you.

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Introduce yourself confidently. When you enter the room, stand up straight, make eye contact, smile, shake hands firmly, and be assertive with the interviewer when you introduce yourself. Walk with confidence and avoid squirming or glancing around the room; Remember that you only have one chance to make a first impression, and you need to do it well.

You can say something as simple as “I am Phuong. Thank you for taking the time to meet me.”

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Speak clearly when answering questions. Speak as clearly and confidently as possible and make eye contact with the interviewer while sharing your thoughts and ideas. Try to avoid humming or using backing words too much; focus on getting your point across, even if you have to pause to think. The most important thing is that you communicate confidently and be honest.

Practicing speaking out loud will help you gain the confidence to speak clearly in an interview. However, you should make sure what you say comes naturally and doesn’t sound like rehearsal.

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Avoid sharing too much personal information. Even if you feel that the interviewer likes you and is friendly, you should still avoid talking too much about personal matters. Do not talk about lovers, spouses, children or personal problems at home; this makes you seem unfocused and unprofessional.

Of course, if you see the person interviewing hanging in the room with a large poster of your favorite sports team, you can briefly mention that if you get the chance, but don’t overdo it. many personal things.

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Remember to say thank you directly to the interviewer. Once you’ve completed the interview, show your appreciation that the employer took the time to meet you and gave you the opportunity to talk about your skills and qualities. When you leave the room, shake their hand again, make sure to look them in the eye, smile, and say thank you sincerely. This shows that you are someone who cares and is truly grateful for the opportunity.

Simply say something like, “Thank you so much for taking the time to see me. This is a great opportunity and I appreciate it.”
At the end of the conversation, you can ask about the timeframe and next steps. They will let you know when they will get back to you and what the next steps are.

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Know what not to do. There are some things you should absolutely avoid when going for an interview. Many people don’t know that a few unintentional comments can turn out to be suspicious signs for employers. Choose your words carefully and make sure you give the impression that you are a diligent, respectful and genuinely enthusiastic employee for the position you are applying for. Here are some things you should avoid:

Don’t ask about time off from work before you’ve been offered the job. This makes it seem like you care more about your holidays than your work.
Don’t talk about how you’ve applied to dozens of jobs and none of them offer interviews. You need to show that you really want to get the job at that company.
Don’t show that you know too little or don’t learn much about the company. Make sure the employer sees that you’re really interested in their company.

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Don’t talk badly about your current job or employer. Even if your boss is rude, petty, heartless, condescending, even if your job is boring and you’re completely dissatisfied working there, you should still say things like ” I have had great experiences with my current job, but I want to take on a new challenge.” If you say bad things about your job or about your boss, the employer will think that maybe one day you will come back and say the same thing about them.

You should leave the impression that you are a sociable, agreeable person who is easy to work with. Even if conflicts in the workplace are not your fault, you shouldn’t give the impression of someone who is difficult to cooperate with.

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Take the next steps. Once you’ve completed the interview, you should send a short email to the employer thanking them for taking the time to meet you and reiterating your interest in the job. This shows that you take the hiring process seriously and that you are eager for the next steps.

Furthermore, not everyone does this, so you will emerge as someone who is truly passionate about the position.

Perform well in other types of interviews

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Perform well in the Skype interview. One tip for Skype interview success: treat it like a formal, albeit informal, interview. If you want to succeed, dress like you would for the actual interview, put your resume and cover letter on your desk, and remember to sit in a quiet place with a good internet connection.

Choose a well-lit location so the interviewer can see you and your expression clearly.
Close an email window or any other window that might distract you during the interview. Put your full attention on the person you are talking to.
Check first to make sure the microphone and video calling app are working properly. Try it first by talking to a friend the day before to make sure you don’t run into any technical issues during the interview.

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Perform well in the phone interview. Many companies conduct phone interviews in advance to identify the most suitable candidates before inviting them in for an in-person interview. This way they save time and get to know each candidate better. You must treat the phone interview as seriously as the formal interview. Put notes in front of you, dress well, find a quiet place with a good signal so you can have a meaningful conversation on the phone.

Ensure professionalism and discretion in all answers. Don’t act casually just because you’re on the phone.
Don’t forget, the interviewer can’t see you, so you have to work harder to portray yourself with words. Make a list of related buzzwords if you think it will help.

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Perform well in group interview. Sometimes you may be invited to a group interview so that recruiters can interview more candidates at once and gauge how you interact with people. One piece of advice for success in these interviews is to be assertive enough to both present yourself and show that you care about others and are able to work well with a team.

Don’t try to put others down to raise yourself up. Instead, behave well and support other candidates but also make it clear that you are the best candidate for the job.
If there are group activities during the interview, try to play a leadership role, but remember not to be overbearing and don’t discourage other candidates from participating.

Steps

Prepare in advance

Perform well in the live interview

Perform well in other types of interviews

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