Accurate job interview tips are worth their weight in gold. Sometimes the difference between winning the interview and losing it can be minute, especially if there is significant competition for a job you really want.
The worst thing is when you spend a significant amount of time and effort preparing and then don't get the job. Worse, often you don't really find out exactly why you didn't get the job.
Did someone perform better in the interview than you?
Was another job candidate simply better than you?
Did you make a big mistake(s) that you didn't realize?
How would you know?
Here are some interview tips and advice that you can use to your advantage.
Interview Tip 1: Research the company and the job well in advance of the interview. Don't try to "wing it" and don't wait until the night before the interview to prepare.
Interview Tip 2: Anticipate the questions you might be asked and plan your answers. While you can't predict every question you will be asked, you can certainly anticipate questions that are generally asked in your industry or in your profession. Make sure you know the answers and make sure you know your facts beforehand.
Interview Tip 3: Do your best to find out as much about the interview process as possible well in advance of the interview so there are no surprises: how many people will interview you at one time, what are their names and job titles, how long is the interview, how long is the interview process, etc.
Interview Tip 4: Be careful of personal information that you choose to divulge during the interview. While it might be illegal for an interviewer to ask you certain questions, it isn't illegal for them to take your answers into consideration if you voluntarily give up information that you shouldn't! See Interview Tip 5. I've seen candidates lose out on jobs because they offered up information they shouldn't have.
Interview Tip 5: Be prepared to handle unethical questions in case they come up. While it can differ by country, generally speaking it is illegal to ask questions about gender, race, sexual orientation, religion, age or disability. A fair and ethical interviewer should stay away from asking questions like this. If you are a woman they should not ask you about your desire to have children but if they do, you need to be prepared to answer this question and other unethical ones.
Interview Tip 6: Think of relevant skills or experience that could separate you from other candidates for the job if you feel it will help to distinguish you ie. a second language, international experience, special training or education, etc. Depending on the job you are applying for or the company you are applying to, there might be something special in your background that although not on the job description, might be valuable to mention during an interview.
Interview Tip 7: Be prepared to answer stress questions. It is not uncommon for an interviewer to ask mathematical questions or riddles or to pose hypothetical questions to gauge your ability to think on your feet and to react in a stressful situation. A classic stress question is when the interviewer hands you a pen or pencil and tells you to sell it to them.
Interview Tip 8: Just because someone is paid to interview people, doesn't necessarily mean they know how to do it! Some hiring managers don't know how to interview properly and you'll find this out once the interview starts. Inexperienced interviewers might be more nervous than you during the interview. Typically, if you are asked the old "tell me about yourself" question to start an interview, this is most likely an indication that you aren't dealing with a top-notch interviewer. A skilled interviewer doesn't open with a general question like this that allows you the interviewee to hijack the interview by answering it anyhow they want.
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