How to Smash Your Next Interview

No one enjoys interviews. You know heading into most interviews that your chances of getting the job are low as there are so many other qualified applicants out there. You feel nervous going in, and yet you have to appear confident and comfortable as if an interview is as easy as your morning coffee.

But smashing an interview and getting the job is not just a matter of luck. Having sat on the other side and watched applicants mumble, ask inane questions, and show that they have no real interest in the position, a good applicant has certain qualities and does things which puts himself above his peers. Here are some of those things, and how you can improve your chances of landing that dream job.

Do Real Research

Anyone can hop on Google, type a company’s name, and spend five minutes browsing the home page. But that is not real research which will impress. If you want a company to hire you, you have to put in the work, really research the company’s past, and find specific details about what they do.

The Muse offers some great insights about things to research such as the company’s financials and community interaction. Furthermore, do not just look at the company website. Interviewees should check social media, especially Twitter, to see what the company’s culture is like. They should also look at Google News for news relating to the company. This can be the company releasing a new financial report or something indirectly related like Congress introducing new regulations.

Don’t Correct the Interviewer

You have done your research about the company, checked SCR888, and want to show the interviewer that you are informed. The interviewer talks about the company and the job start the interview, but makes a mistake such as getting a statistic wrong. You promptly correct the interviewer and sit back, confident that you have proven your knowledge.

In fact, you just failed the interview as the interviewer now thinks you are a know it all. If you are correcting someone you have known for all of two minutes, the interviewer will assume that you will do the same thing inside the workplace.

Never interrupt the interviewer and avoid getting into a dispute over facts and figures. You want the interviewer to think well of you, and getting into an argument is not conducive towards that goal.

Don’t Lie

A study reported on by CNBC found that “75 percent of human resource managers spot inaccuracies on resumes,” and I will not deny that I somewhat exaggerated my previous jobs’ responsibilities in the past. But there is a difference between a slight embellishment and claiming that you studied under Nietzsche.

Hiring managers make it their responsibility to spot inaccuracies on resumes, and they will browse your Facebook or LinkedIn accounts to find discrepancies. There are plenty of stories of individuals who get hired, have good careers, but then instantly lose their esteemed position when people realize their resume was a fraud.

Outright lying on your resume does not pay off over the long run. If an employer is seeking a qualification which you do not have, explain how you can work around it and talk about your willingness to learn, improve, and get the qualification. Such honesty will be appreciated more than lying and getting caught later.

“I,” not “You”

Anyone can say that they are an IT expert or friendly with customers, but not anyone can bring up real life examples of a time when they showed the necessary qualification for the job. Forbes contributor Mark Murphy points out that successful individuals are more likely to use “I” and the past tense while low performers will use “you” and the present or future tense. This is because successful individuals can look into the past and recall moments when they showed their skills while low performers have to speak abstractly.

Whenever asked a question, try to pivot to examples in your life when you showed certain skills instead of claiming that you understand that the skills are important. A constant stream of stories will convince the interviewer better than a flat declaration.

Say Thank You

You have probably already heard people say that you should send a thank you note after the interview, but many new interviewees unfortunately view it as a pointless formality.

It is not. Sending a thank you note shows that you are truly interested in the job. When you are competing against 100 other applicants, every advantage matters.

Furthermore, a thank you note is not just a thank you note. We have all had moments where we walk out of an interview and then realize we forgot to bring up some relevant tidbit explaining your qualifications. A thank you note is a great opportunity to either bring up that tidbit or clarify an answer.

Send a thank you email within 24 hours of the interview. Make it prompt and enthusiastic, and it will greatly enhance your chances of getting the job while taking up little time.