5 Ways To Nail Your Next Job Interview

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After working hard to finish your studies you're left with another challenge: nailing that job interview you've been invited to. Well, here's your golden ticket:

You’ve studied hard, worked through 3 or 2 years of exams, assignments, lectures, notes and what not. The countless number of hours spent at the library or at your study room has finally come to the point of payoff. But, not just yet. Excellent grades do help securing a great job but it’s not the only ingredient needed to nail that job interview. When you see an A grade report you assume that this person is probably the best person suited for the job. Or you might think that he/she is probably the most intelligent person in the room. But, that’s not always true.

Perhaps they have a great IQ (Intelligence Quotient) but what they are going to need more than IQ to secure a great job in today’s highly competitive world is EI (Emotional Intelligence). Maybe you are reading this article because you want to shift jobs but even then this is a quality that employers these days are valuing more and more. And research proves that people with higher Emotional Intelligence are more effective than people with lesser Emotional Intelligence.

emotional-intelligence-statistic

However I won’t be going into detail about Emotional Intelligence. I’ve included links to related posts that you can read if you are interested to know more about the subject.

Here are 5 things you can do to nail your next job interview:

#1 Visualize Yourself

If this is a company you can see yourself spending the next ten years in then think and visualize of where you would like to see yourself in the company ten years down the line and not just for that particular post that you are applying for. The reason why I suggest this is so you can build up your confidence before applying for this job.

Confidence is almost visible. It is easy to make out the difference between someone who is confident and someone who isn’t. Employers can bet on that. What you believe about yourself inwardly will reflect on what you are outwardly [Tweet this]. So before going in for your next interview develop a strong belief in your talents and abilities. If you don’t believe in yourself completely no one else will [Tweet this].

#2 Research Well

This is something so obvious but you will be amazed by how people just don’t prioritize this as much as they should. You have to research about the company you are applying to. What are their key products or services, who are the founders – what do they believe in, what are the core values of the company, read news articles about the company, is the business profitable, do they have funding, read stories about how and why the founders started the company. By doing this kind of research before your interview you will develop a sense of belonging to this company but more than that you will understand what this company is all about and it will give you clues of what you should or should not say in an interview.

You never know how this might turn out for you – you might even just position yourself as a thought leader in your first interview by suggesting new ideas that might just boost the growth of the company. Surprise yourself by preparing well.

#3 Feel Good About Yourself

An interview is a big deal. It’s not just about having your clothes ironed proper and bringing your best smile to the interview table. You need to be feeling good about yourself the night before the interview but more importantly the morning of your interview day. You need to be feeling well emotionally, physically and spiritually. Work on yourself – maybe get an early run to get those endorphins moving, watch an inspiring talk, keep out as much negativity as possible and especially negative people. Find some time to meditate to stay grateful and thankful to have even got an opportunity for this interview. If you feel good about yourself that confidence will overflow into your interview and your interviewers will be able to notice it.

#4 Conquering The Waiting Room

Now, just before you get into the interview the waiting room is where the pressure can be really felt. Other candidates may not be as friendly since they might view each other as threats and that is normal and fine. But it can make you feel nervous when you see someone whom you think could be more capable for the job than you. This can reduce your chance of landing the job as it may bring discouragement. The final stage of preparation before you enter for your interview is to learn to be friendly and encouraging to the candidates around you in the waiting room. A positive and uplifting comment towards another person can be very good for your mood but it can also build your confidence enormously. Don’t isolate yourself engage with the other candidates.

#5 Asking Questions

Most candidates don’t ask questions to their interviewer. But often times interviewers usually ask you if you have any questions at the end of the interview. At this point be prepared with some questions about the company. This is in a sense a two-way process – you need to have researched the company well to have some questions about it. Or perhaps you may have certain questions about the job? Whatever it may be, the quality of your questions reveal how assertive you are and if you have leadership potential. If you can ask great questions and make the interviewer think about his/her response there is a good chance that you have impressed them. Asking questions shows you have knowledge about your subject and reveals how confident you are.

 

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